Monday, August 4, 2025
Science
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • HOME
  • SCIENCE NEWS
  • CONTACT US
  • HOME
  • SCIENCE NEWS
  • CONTACT US
No Result
View All Result
Scienmag
No Result
View All Result
Home Science News Medicine

Increased risk of homelessness for youths growing up in foster homes

June 4, 2024
in Medicine
Reading Time: 2 mins read
0
66
SHARES
596
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
ADVERTISEMENT

New research from the University of South Australia (UniSA) and Curtin University finds that up to 36% of young people leaving foster homes in Australia wind up homeless – compared to less than 10% of the general youth population.

In a paper published in the journal Child Abuse & Neglect, mental health, alcohol, and substance abuse disorders were identified as increasing the risk of homelessness, emphasising the importance of employing systems and resources to improve the outcomes for out-of-home care (OHC)  leavers.

Professor Melissa O’Donnell, Deputy Director of Research at UniSA’s Australian Centre for Child Protection, says more needs to be done to support young people who haven’t had the typical growing-up experience that could otherwise help them with the transition to adulthood and independent living.

ADVERTISEMENT

“Young people leaving care need help securing stable housing, financial assistance, mentorship support, education and employment services, and life skills training,” Prof O’Donnell says.

“We need to diversify our approach to supporting these groups, with tailored strategies unique to each person and their needs.

“These young people often have minimal social and/or financial support to transition smoothly from OHC to adulthood, which leads to homelessness, substance misuse, and poor mental health.

“Providing transition programs which offer a range of support and resources is vital so that they are tailored to individual needs and goals.”

Curtin University PhD student Fadzai Chikwava says a lack of extended support post-care contributes significantly to homelessness.

“There’s a lack of follow-up on OHC leavers, which is contributing to these poor outcomes,” Chikwava says.

“Evaluation and monitoring systems need to be strengthened as a form of early intervention, and leavers need to be involved in developing support and transition plans to ensure security and success post-care.

“All Australian states have committed to extending leaving care until age 21, however the frequency and extent of this varies depending on the child welfare system in each state.

“Even though leavers have these extra years of support, the quality of this care needs to be improved to ensure young people are provided trauma-informed care and that the support and resources they receive are meeting their needs.”

Notes to editors:

“Trajectories of homelessness and association with mental health and substance use disorders among young people transitioning from out-of-home care in Australia” is authored by Fadzai Chikwava (Curtin University); Reinie Cordier (Northumbria University); Anna Ferrante (Curtin University); Melissa O’Donnell (UniSA) and Eduwin Pakpahan (Northumbria University).

Share26Tweet17
Previous Post

Sunshine spurs spending: Investors bet big on sunny days

Next Post

Novel triple antibiotic combination offers breakthrough in combatting antibiotic resistance

Related Posts

Medicine

Human Insula-Hippocampus Interaction Drives Memory Encoding

August 4, 2025
blank
Medicine

Introducing The Lancet Countdown on Health and Plastics: A Groundbreaking Report

August 4, 2025
blank
Medicine

Experts Launch Initiative to Track Plastic Pollution’s Hidden Threats to Human Health, Warns The Lancet

August 4, 2025
blank
Medicine

Microglia Chromatin States Reveal Alzheimer’s Spatial Patterns

August 3, 2025
blank
Medicine

Expanded Subventricular Zone Aids Postnatal Interneuron Migration

August 3, 2025
blank
Medicine

Mapping Human Thalamocortical Links via Electrical Stimulation

August 3, 2025
Next Post
Graphical abstract

Novel triple antibiotic combination offers breakthrough in combatting antibiotic resistance

  • Mothers who receive childcare support from maternal grandparents show more parental warmth, finds NTU Singapore study

    Mothers who receive childcare support from maternal grandparents show more parental warmth, finds NTU Singapore study

    27529 shares
    Share 11008 Tweet 6880
  • University of Seville Breaks 120-Year-Old Mystery, Revises a Key Einstein Concept

    937 shares
    Share 375 Tweet 234
  • Bee body mass, pathogens and local climate influence heat tolerance

    640 shares
    Share 256 Tweet 160
  • Researchers record first-ever images and data of a shark experiencing a boat strike

    506 shares
    Share 202 Tweet 127
  • Warm seawater speeding up melting of ‘Doomsday Glacier,’ scientists warn

    310 shares
    Share 124 Tweet 78
Science

Embark on a thrilling journey of discovery with Scienmag.com—your ultimate source for cutting-edge breakthroughs. Immerse yourself in a world where curiosity knows no limits and tomorrow’s possibilities become today’s reality!

RECENT NEWS

  • Elusive Closure Among Bereaved Brazilian Immigrants in Germany
  • Widespread Pollution Found in Great Bowerbird Bowers
  • EEG-Guided Brain Stimulation Targets Depression Networks
  • Breath Test Developed to Detect Colorectal Cancer

Categories

  • Agriculture
  • Anthropology
  • Archaeology
  • Athmospheric
  • Biology
  • Bussines
  • Cancer
  • Chemistry
  • Climate
  • Earth Science
  • Marine
  • Mathematics
  • Medicine
  • Pediatry
  • Policy
  • Psychology & Psychiatry
  • Science Education
  • Social Science
  • Space
  • Technology and Engineering

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 5,184 other subscribers

© 2025 Scienmag - Science Magazine

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • HOME
  • SCIENCE NEWS
  • CONTACT US

© 2025 Scienmag - Science Magazine

Discover more from Science

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading