The importance of social relationships for young people from a public care background

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to show that social relationships and participation in communities are of central importance to promoting positive educational pathways for young people from a public care background. The article will explore what facilitates and hinders young people's educational pathways. In addition to a general description of facilitators and barriers, this article focuses primarily on the importance of social relationships. This is done with reference to an EU research project called Young people from a public care background: Pathways to education in Europe. This article will show that young people's age at entry to care, pre-care experiences and in-care experiences influence their educational pathways. The article argues for the importance of professionals to be proactive in helping young people access and engage in social communities.