Reimagining Transitional Support Systems for Youth Leaving Out-of-Home Care: A Global Framework for Housing, Workforce, and Psychosocial Integration

Abstract

Care-experienced youth worldwide face significant discontinuities upon leaving out-of-home care systems often experiencing housing instability, unemployment, psychological distress, and legal vulnerability. Building on a review of empirical and policy-focused studies, this paper develops a Global Framework for Transitional Support that integrates four core domains: stable housing, mental health and psychosocial care, education and workforce pathways, and legal identity and youth empowerment. Comparative insights from the UK, Australia, Canada, South Africa, and Latin America reveal shared strengths and systemic gaps such as fragmented service delivery, inadequate coordination, and lack of youth centred planning. To address these, the proposed framework introduces a modular, Integrated Transition Model featuring a central coordination hub, data-driven risk monitoring, and decentralized local implementation. Designed for both high- and low-resource environments, the model emphasizes adaptability to cultural contexts and developmental readiness, leveraging trauma-informed approaches and peer mentorship. The framework also outlines policy mechanisms legislative mandates, funding integration, outcomes tracking to ensure scalability and sustainability. By synthesizing existing evidence with a structured, globally applicative model, this work offers a practical roadmap for national and international stakeholders aiming to fortify the social infrastructure for care leavers. It provides a timely contribution to the literature on youth welfare and offers a policy-aligned strategy to enhance life outcomes among care-experienced populations.