How care leavers faced the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic?

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has had multiple implications for the lives of care leavers, an already marginalized population. Although there has been a focus in the literature on the negative implications of the pandemic, and on the heightened risks and needs among this cohort, little attention has been paid to their resilience and to the way in which care leavers have coped. Based on resilience theory and conservation of resources (COR) theory, in this study we explored the coping resources and assets of care leavers during and following the pandemic from the perspective of 44 care leavers in Israel aged 18–29. Thematic analysis revealed four main themes: reliance on their own personal features and skills, future perceptions as a motivational aspect, past and current support from formal services and figures, and support from informal social networks. The findings indicate that the pandemic has offered a unique lens through which to consider care leavers’ strengths and resilience. Implications for policy and practice include highlighting the role of the state as a “corporate parent” in providing protection against the pandemic’s negative implications and emphasizing the importance of formal services and professional figures as central sources of support in care leavers’ coping and resilience.