El proceso de emancipación desde acogimiento residencial. Habilidades adaptativas a la vida adulta y percepciones sobre sus procesosuna aproximación interseccional

Abstract

Among young people in residential foster care there are very diverse profiles and they have different needs, realities and life experiences. At the age of 18 they have to begin their emancipation process quickly and must demonstrate capabilities and responsibilities unimaginable for the rest of the population at that age. This fact means that the young population leaving care must prioritize their economic and residential stability. They look for educational training that can improve their employability quickly, leaving aside any more ambitious project. Likewise, personal and social factors play a fundamental role in this entire process. Having the appropriate preparation and skills to adapt to adulthood is one of the main challenges of the process of emancipation from residential foster care. Emancipation support programs have helped moderate the risk in their transition. However, available places and length of stay are limited. The objective of this research is to identify the strengths and weaknesses in the adaptive behavior to adult life of young people leaving care, paying special attention to differences according to sex and origin. 53 young people between 18 and 24 years old participated. They have gone through emancipation support services or programs during the period 2016-2022. A mixed methodology has been used, combining the use of quantitative and qualitative methods. On the one hand, to know the level of adaptive behavior of the sample, the Spanish adaptation of the ABAS-II questionnaire has been applied with professionals. On the other hand, in-depth interviews were conducted with each of the 53 young people so that they could provide their perceptions and reflections on their transition to adult life. The results show statistically significant differences in adaptive behavior, with better results for women and for people of foreign origin in practically all areas of adaptability. All groups, although at different levels of adaptation, obtain their best scores in adaptive household chores skills. His adaptability weaknesses are found in the Social index, which includes the area of leisure and social relations skills. It is concluded that adaptive skills for adult life vary significantly depending on the profile. Priorities should focus on guaranteeing the continuity of the process of preparation for adult life after the age of 18. Work must be done to have structured, personalized emancipation plans appropriate to the needs of each young person, designed from a gender perspective and with an intersectional approach.