Peer-reviewed article
Young Adults Transitioning from Institutional Care to Independent Living: The Role of Aftercare Support and Services
Rini Bhargava, Riti Chandrashekhar, Shubhangi Kansal, Kiran Modi ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examined 47 young adults aged 17-29 who left institutional care in New Delhi, India, comparing those who received aftercare support with those who did not. Although the Indian Juvenile Justice Act mandates aftercare services including education, housing, and employment support, the study found that existing programmes are inadequate and fail to prepare young people for independent living. Aftercare receivers had slightly higher education levels but faced similar struggles as non-receivers in employment, financial independence, mental health, and housing. The study highlights a significant gender gap, with females receiving less effective support and having lower education and employment outcomes than males.
Key points
- Aftercare receivers achieved higher education levels than non-receivers, but the difference was modest
- A substantial gender gap exists: females receiving aftercare were often placed in institutional residential services that do not prepare them for independent living
- Mental and emotional stress levels were similar between aftercare receivers and non-receivers, suggesting aftercare programmes fail to address psychological well-being
- Employment and financial independence were challenges for both groups, with most females lacking independent income sources regardless of aftercare provision
- Current aftercare is neither comprehensive nor adequate in addressing education, skills, financial independence, housing, or social networks
Limitations
The study is cross-sectional and descriptive, comparing two groups at a single point in time without randomisation or control for confounding factors. The small sample size (47 young adults) and focus on one city limits generalisability to other regions of India or other countries.
Abstract
This study was conducted on 47 young adults, between the ages of 17 and 29 years in 2017–2018. The sample represents a vulnerable population of children who grow up in various government and non-government child care institutions of New Delhi, India. The Juvenile Justice Act (2015) of India ordains for ‘aftercare’, which includes support and services in the domains of education, housing, skill development and vocational training, employment, financial assistance, medical aid and counselling. The sample consists of 29 aftercare receivers (62%), 13 non-receivers (28%) and 5 young adults who were unsure of aftercare provision (10%). Comparisons between aftercare receivers and non-receivers are made using cross-tabulations on the data obtained through young adults’ interviews. The analysis revealed that the existing aftercare programmes are ill-equipped to prepare Out-of-Home Care (OHC) youth to transition from alternative care to independent living. Although aftercare receivers obtained higher level of education than non-receivers, a gender-gap was observed with females having a lower education-level than males. Most female aftercare receivers were provided residential services in an institutional setup which fall short of preparing them for independent life in the future. Moreover, almost an equal number of receivers and nonreceivers experienced mental/emotional stresses suggesting that aftercare provision has failed to address their overall psychological well-being. Young adults also struggled in finding employment, and most females did not have their own sources of income compared to males, regardless of aftercare provision. The study concludes that the current aftercare programming is neither comprehensive nor adequate because receivers and non-receivers face similar issues of obtaining higher education and skills, achieving financial independence, maintaining physical and mental well-being, securing adequate housing and developing reliable social networks. There is also an acute gender disparity in the provision of aftercare; and gender-specific strategies need to be developed to improve the efficacy of aftercare in New Delhi.