Studies have shown that youth exiting care are drastically overrepresented in the homelessness population. Few studies, however, have examined the experiences of homelessness of young people after they have exited care using collaborative and participatory methods. This study investigates youth’s experiences while in the child welfare system, their transition out of services, their experiences with homelessness, and the factors that contributed to their struggles and their resilience.
A Participatory Action Research (PAR) methodology and arts-based Photovoice (PV) method was utilized to engage eight youth residing in the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) between the ages of 18 and 25, with both child welfare system and homelessness experience. Project session transcripts and photographs were thematically analyzed to identify common and individual themes emerging from the experiences of the youth co-researchers.
Themes emerged under three categories: (1) supportive factors that contributed to their resilience; (2) systemic or interpersonal challenges that contributed to negative experiences; and (3) recommendations for policy change. Of importance, six of the eight participants were employed while experiencing homelessness. Findings from this study provide a nuanced and youth-centred explanation of both the risk and protective factors that influence young people’s trajectories from the child welfare system to (and out of) homelessness.
This webinar is intended to help professionals learn about and engage with:
- The realities and challenges faced by young people in care as they transition to adulthood, and in particular the heightened risk of experiencing homelessness;
- A Photovoice and Action Research (PAR) study;
- Key risk and protective factors emerging from the photography; and
- Concrete recommendations for improving child welfare policies, practices and support for youth exiting care.
