GRADUATING FROM CARE - A MISSED OPPORTUNITY FOR ENCOURAGING SUCCESSFUL CITIZENSHIP

For youngsters in both the UK and North America late adolescence can be a turbulent period of development. Those emancipating from foster family care or residential group living deserve special consideration and are the subject of this paper. Although this paper deliberately draws its sources mainly from the UK, from her previous work (Aldgate, Maluccio & Reeves, 1989) the author is aware of the parallels operating between a UK and a North American perspective. It is therefore hoped that the issues raised will be of interest to the readership in both continents. Briefly, the paper will outline the social and practical problems faced by care graduates and discuss these in the light of recent UK research findings. The paper will then give some ideas on how these problems may be ameliorated in general and outline the way the new British child care law has provided a framework for action by practitioners.