Young people transitioning from residential care in South Africa: Welfare contexts, resilience, research and practice

Within the universally vulnerable population of young people in South Africa, those leaving care are especially at risk. This chapter reviews the state of South African youth, particularly regarding poverty, employment and education, providing the social context within which to consider those leaving care. The South African welfare context is reviewed, with particular attention to the transition from an apartheid welfare system to a developmental state, and the implications of this for child welfare, alternative care and residential care. South African research on care-leaving is discussed, with particular attention to the authors’ own longitudinal care-leaving study. Case studies of transitional support programmes serve to illustrate emerging practises. The chapter concludes with suggested avenues for ongoing research, social activism, collaboration and policy development.