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This article focuses on support in transition to adulthood for young people who have been in the child welfare system in Norway. By drawing upon interviews with young people and social workers in c...

The transition to adulthood for young people leaving care has become a significant subject of research over recent decades, especially given consistent findings that suggest that alumni of care are at high risk of adverse outcomes. However, there is no definitive consensus on how findings from research can best inform practice with youth in transition out of care. The aim of the present article is to provide principles that can support practice based on a project mounted by a group of international care leaving researchers. These principles include, among others, the importance of listening to the young people, to supporting their autonomy during and after care as well as their cultural identity and diversity, to ensuring their access to education after care, to ensure preparation for leaving care and ensure that care leavers rights are upheld so that they get the support they need. The discussion considers these principles in light of the micro-, meso- and macrosystem levels in Bronfenbrenner’s social ecological model (1994) and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) and reviews the challenges of generating these principles. In addition, implications for policy are highlighted in relation to rights, entitlements and access to services.

Young people leaving care are vulnerable youths in need of assistance. During recent years there has been a debate in Norway questioning if the support given is random and insufficient. This paper explores how the child welfare services in Norway assist young people leaving care in the transition to adulthood. The discussion is based upon a survey sent to all child welfare services in Norway. Even though most of the services report having a systematic practice, only a few have written guidelines. They also report difficulties motivating young people to receive further support, having too little time and starting the work too late. This could be due to the fact that providing assistance after 18 years is not mandatory, creating a situation of negotiation where both organizational and relational issues become important.