KINDS OF PROVIDED CARE AND SUPPORT NEEDED FOR CARE LEAVERS IN SAUDI ARABIA EUSARF TH EUROPEAN SCIENTIFIC ASSOCIATION FOR RESIDENTIAL AND FOSTER CARE FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS CONFERENCE

27 millions M vs. F (50.9 : 49.1)% Saudi vs. Non-Saudi (68.9 : 31.1)% MSW2004 PhD /3/2014Ahmed Albar IMSIU EUSARF 20142

BRIEF INTORDUCTION  Who Care Leavers Are?  Where They Came From?  What Distinct Them From Other Care Leavers Groups? 9/3/2014Ahmed Albar IMSIU EUSARF 20143

WHO THEY ARE?  Born of unknown parents  No family members  “foundlings’’  Orphans of unknown parents  Orphans with special circumstances 9/3/2014Ahmed Albar IMSIU EUSARF 20144

WHERE THEY CAME FROM? In this study: Some had been fostered Most came from residential institutions 9/3/2014Ahmed Albar IMSIU EUSARF 20145

TOTAL INSTITUTION Lived in total institution where personal needs are less likely to be met Provided comprehensive\universal care Have fully rights as citizens Have medical insurance Helped to continue education 9/3/2014Ahmed Albar IMSIU EUSARF 20146

LENGTH OF STAY At residential care 9/3/2014Ahmed Albar IMSIU EUSARF 20147

INSTABILITY Due to multiple movements Staff and carers change Now is much better but still…. 9/3/2014Ahmed Albar IMSIU EUSARF 20148

ATTACHMENT Insecure attachment Being separated from attached figures and places Less likely to have transition preparation Mostly “personal efforts” Rare to be followed up by previous carers 9/3/2014Ahmed Albar IMSIU EUSARF 20149

STIGMA Identity crisis No family identity …family tree Link their circumstance with illegitimacy Feel a stigmatized Some feel different 9/3/2014Ahmed Albar IMSIU EUSARF

LEAVING CARE No formal program to prepare them Continue education Find jobs Get married and form a family Lacking emotional and social support Lacking social skills Early experiences affect them as adults 9/3/2014Ahmed Albar IMSIU EUSARF

RESILIENCY Many were able to cope with new life after leaving Continued higher education and have scholarship to study abroad Keep their jobs Improve their careers Formed family and have children “started new identity”….secure attachment Few have their own home Many have good relationships with the “others” After leaving care 9/3/2014Ahmed Albar IMSIU EUSARF

WHAT KEEP THEM SURVIVE? Professor Mike Stein (2005,2006,2008) 9/3/2014Ahmed Albar IMSIU EUSARF

IDEAL HOUSING PROGRAM 70% came from residential care They leave care at the age of 18 Now extended to 22 Being supported until 30 Semi-independent flats vs. “ideal house” 9/3/2014Ahmed Albar IMSIU EUSARF

WHEN LEAVING: “were expected to cope with various challenges and shoulder a broader range of responsibilities” (Wade, 2006) 9/3/2014Ahmed Albar IMSIU EUSARF

9/3/2014Ahmed Albar IMSIU EUSARF

FINANCIAL SUPPORT $427 For those who are studying Social insurance for all $267 For those who are working Once a year subsidy from social insurance $120 Neither or $230$2757 Incentive 9/3/2014 Ahmed Albar IMSIU EUSARF

WHAT ARE MISSING… WHAT DO THEY NEED? Being prepared for life after leaving Being protected while in care and after leaving Having someone to rely on and seek help when having problems “personal advisor” Being followed up after leaving More attention to emotional and psychological needs and problems Being supported like family members 9/3/2014Ahmed Albar IMSIU EUSARF

Financial support but more social support Pathway plan for leaving care to be linked and based on care plan Comprehensive assessment Independent life skills Both tangible and intangible skills Searching for what works…helped them to keep survive and resilient 9/3/2014Ahmed Albar IMSIU EUSARF

Formal or professional support alongside informal help is needed (Pinkerton and Dolan, 2007) Deal with hidden “scars” and unaddressed early experiences e.g. stigma, fear, insecure attachment lack of trust, self-esteem, abuse and trauma, isolation… Listen to them and their needs by sharing them… Link the past with the present and future 9/3/2014Ahmed Albar IMSIU EUSARF

The vulnerability of these young people makes informal social support a necessity (Biehal and Wade, 1996) Childhood memories and experiences inevitably shaped the way young people perceived themselves, It profoundly affected their relationships with people around them (Frost and Stein, 1995) 9/3/2014Ahmed Albar IMSIU EUSARF

The educational career of young people in-care is influenced by the process of care, itself, due to instability and feeling stigmatized (Sinclair and Gibbs, 1998). There was an association between poor educational attainment and the number of moves and type of care in placements (Biehal, et al, 1995) 9/3/2014Ahmed Albar IMSIU EUSARF

PREVENTIVE AND THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION ARE NEEDED Both briefly in crisis, but also long- term: working with them on relationships, grief and loss, social skills and on building their self-esteem (Biehal, 2006). Early Prevention 9/3/2014Ahmed Albar IMSIU EUSARF

@AhmadAlbar_ 9/3/2014Ahmed Albar IMSIU EUSARF