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Summary: It is widely recognised that young people in out-of-home care are often involved in a complex process of culminating disadvantage and exclusion. Investing in the core ingredients of social inclusion (participation and interpersonal relationships) while still in care can counterbalance ongoing exclusion processes. In this article, we explore how early work experiences (before the age of 18) can play a role in this. Findings: A thematic analysis was performed on interview data from 74 young adults in six countries. Several elements promote community participation (gaining financial autonomy, gaining a feeling of independence, and being able to contribute as a worker) and help to develop a sense of belonging (striving for normality and building long-lasting social connections). Early work experiences also contribute to personal growth (building capabilities and shaping the future). Applications: This article highlights how early work experiences have the potential to promote social inclusion for out-of-home care-experienced young people and serve as gateway experiences for both educational and work trajectories. Entry into the world of work should not be postponed until the age of 18. Caregivers can play a role in motivating young people to work while still being in care and helping them to find a job. The experiences gained during these early work experiences can also have a place in the care process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research highlights the role of key actors and relationships in supporting the educational attainment and progress of children in care and care leavers. We know less about how relationships influence the educational journeys of people with care experience over time and how to support the educational progress and engagement of adults with care experience. The principle of "linked lives" is central to the life course perspective referring to the interdependence of human lives throughout the life course. This paper explores how the principle of linked lives can illuminate our understanding of how relationships positively influence the educational journeys of adults with care experience over time. Educational life history interviews were conducted with 18 care‐experienced adults (aged 24–36) in Ireland. Findings suggest that the principle of linked lives is a valuable conceptual tool for providing new insights on this issue. Four key themes were identified: (a) opportunities for educational support are present across the life course; (b) "family" is a central source of educational support; (c) there is intergenerational capacity for educational support; and (d) relationships beyond the "family" are supportive of education. Implications for practice, policy, and research are explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on children’s friendship in culturally diverse contexts has shown that children are more likely to choose friends from their own ethnic or racial group than others. This article examines this tendency from the perspective of 10- to 12-year-old girls attending ethnically mixed primary schools in Dublin, Ireland. It argues that both the emotional challenges involved in encounters across divides and the dynamics of all children’s friendships have a significant role to play in the manner in which boundaries are drawn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this component of a preliminary cross-national study (Ireland and Catalonia) of care leavers' experience in the world of work is to explore how carers may influence the entry of young people in care into the world of work and how they may also influence the young people's progress in that world. A total of 22 care leavers, aged 23-33 years, were recruited on the basis of their having substantial employment experience since leaving care. Evidence from the interviews reveals the importance of the role of carers in the work-related progression of the young care leavers, especially in relation to gaining work experience while they were still in care. The qualitative analysis shows that carers were influential in promoting (and sometimes hindering) progress in work and education. Carers were often reported to play an important role in opening up opportunities, giving support (modelling skill development, giving practical help, etc.), being role models and cultivating the young person's agency. On the basis of these findings, we propose an initial conceptualization of carer roles in positive work support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Work is important for promoting social inclusion, especially for marginalized or economically vulnerable populations. There is also evidence that work is associated with stability and social integration for young people who have left care. There is, however, little detailed evidence on how young care-leavers access, and remain in, the world of work. This paper seeks to address this issue. It reports on preliminary findings from a cross-national qualitative study conducted in Ireland and Catalonia. The study set out to explore factors influencing care-leavers' entry into, and progress within, the word of work. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 young adults (10 from Ireland, 12 from Catalonia) aged between 23 and 33 years. The main criteria for inclusion were that study participants should have spent an extended period of time in care and have had substantial employment experience since leaving care. Preliminary analysis reveals different ‘pathways’ into the world of work for the young adults in the study, and a range of influences and circumstances related to these pathways. The implications of the findings for further research and for child welfare practice and policy and research are explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The article explores how relationships in the workplace may be an important source of social support. • Support received from bosses and co-workers included being shown trust, being given recognition, and being mentored. • It appears that such support assists care experienced young people progress in the workplace and more widely. • Workplace may offer young people the opportunity to develop meaningful and long-term friendships beyond work. It is widely recognised that young people in care and care leavers may find challenges in accessing necessary social support. Their potential support network may be adversely affected by the issues behind their being originally admitted to care, and by later experiences during their time in care and after they leave care. In this article, we explore how relationships in the workplace may be an important source of support for some care experienced young people. Such support may assist their progress in the workplace and more widely. Drawing on a study of 22 young adults who left care in Catalonia and Ireland, this article reports on participants' experience of a range of support from bosses and co-workers. Support received included being shown trust, being given recognition, and being mentored. Participants also reported that employers and co-workers were very helpful, not only in terms of work issues, but also by providing emotional and personal support, and in many cases, by offering young people the opportunity to create meaningful and stable friendships beyond work. This paper highlights how the workplace may be a potential (and largely unrecognised) source of social support for care experienced young people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The low educational attainment of young people in care and leaving care has been well-established in a continually-growing body of international research. Existing research has identified some of the pathways taken by care leavers into further and higher education in the years after leaving care (i.e. ages 18–24), particularly among 'high achieving' care leavers. We know less however, about the longer-term pathways taken through education from the perspective of 'older' adults with care experience (i.e. those aged 25 and over). Guided by the life course principle of expected 'diversity in life course trajectories' this paper identifies the pathways taken through education among 18 care-experienced adults (aged 24–36) in Ireland and some of the experiences and events that influenced these pathways. We outline four types of educational pathway taken by participants: 1) The Typical Pathway; 2) The Typical Pathway 'Plus'; 3) The Short-term Disrupted Pathway; and 4) The Long-term Disrupted Pathway. Study findings illustrate the diversity of educational pathways that may be taken by adults with care experience and the importance of considering the impact of multiple roles and transitions on these pathways. The value of taking a longer-term view when exploring educational pathways is also highlighted in this paper. Implications for practice, policy, and future research are discussed. • Qualitative study of educational pathways of care-experienced adults • Guided by life course principle of expected 'diversity in life course trajectories' • Diverse educational pathways identified including 'typical and 'disrupted' pathways • Multiple roles and transitions impact the educational pathways taken by participants [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]