This study explored the housing experiences and the meaning of home in the lives of young adults aging out of the care system (YAAC) through photo-elicitation interviews. The research question was, “What are the housing experiences and the meanings ...
This study explored the housing experiences and the meaning of home in the lives of young adults aging out of the care system (YAAC) through photo-elicitation interviews. The research question was, “What are the housing experiences and the meanings of home in the lives of YAAC?” The participants in this study were 12 YAAC, aged 18-29 who had lived in residential facilities including group homes. Data collection took place from March to July 2024, with each participant receiving one orientation session and three in-depth interviews. The data were collected through photo-elicitation interviews and were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis.
First, the housing experiences of YAAC were grounded in an understanding of their tumultuous life histories. While there were some commonalities in their broader experiences due to similar backgrounds, the specific details of their experiences varied. These life stories began with experiences of broken boundaries in the original family’s home, symbolized by the "broken umbrella.” Relationships with their birth families were often painful, like old scars on the body, and unresolved, like chains with lost keys.
Second, the characteristics of housing experiences during institutional life and after leaving the facilities were reflected in the process of home-making. The participants first experienced "alternative fences, light and shadow of institutional life.” In the facilities that replaced their original families, they made places by creating spaces they liked and formed new relationships. However, negative experiences led them to perceive their living situation as a weakness, making it hard to form attachments to the place. Near the time of leaving the facility, they experienced a "struggle to find my own home.” Each participant faced individual hurdles and the pressure of moving quickly into adulthood. Through this struggle, they experienced either a sense of their first real home or, through moving, the process of assembling the pieces of the living space they desired. After this process, their housing experiences were characterized as "my current home, a small but vast universe.” Each participant’s home-making involved meaningful spaces and objects and expanded through meaningful relationships with family, friends, or romantic partners. These spaces, objects, and relationships formed a small world for the participants, where their homes, though physically small, became spaces holding their vast personal universes.
Third, for YAAC, the experience of home was the shift from psychological homelessness to a sense of having a home. This was embodied in two key meanings of home, “a secure base in a vast world” and “a space that embodies the longing for a normal life.” The past homes of the participants were not homes but shelters where they wandered like the “ugly duckling,” searching for a place to belong. In contrast, their current homes became spaces of rest, recovery, and safety, where they could show their true selves. Additionally, these homes were places where the longing for a normal life and the realization of that dream were present, as well as aspirations for future homes.
The key discussions based on these findings are as follows: First, there is a need to focus on the home-making practices of YAAC and the relationships inherent in these processes. Participants showed that through place-making or home-making, unfamiliar spaces could become familiar, or conversely, even with a physical home, they might experience a lack of emotional connection to it. Experiences with important others influenced their sense of home, highlighting the need for richer social networks to promote stable home-making. The way they made homes and formed relationships were closely linked to their ability to adapt during their transition to independence, offering valuable insights into providing effective support for YAAC.
Second, there is a need for an understanding and focus on the characteristics of emerging adulthood, particularly regarding intimate relationships for YAAC. These young people experienced pressure to quickly transition to adulthood and gain independence due to their circumstances. Therefore, support is needed to ensure they accumulate resources and form diverse social relationships during their transition, with particular attention given to intimate relationships. Many of these youth struggled with disclosing their backgrounds to romantic partners, and due to their unique histories, their family concept was not limited to biological relatives. Intimate relationships played a significant role in how these young people navigated their transition to adulthood and their housing experiences.
Third, housing experiences revealed the agency of YAAC. While previous research had largely depicted these young people as passive or vulnerable, this study found that they were active agents, making choices and decisions and creating their own homes within their circumstances. This highlights the need for a shift in perspective when designing policies and services for these youth, recognizing them as active agents with goals and visions for their lives. Support should aim to enhance their housing experiences and build their resilience.
Fourth, housing research and support policies for YAAC should consider their unique housing experiences. These experiences were multifaceted and complex, significantly different from those of their peers. For others, who have lived in stable housing provided by their parents, moving to independent living during emerging adulthood often symbolizes instability. In contrast, for YAAC, they experience emotional and psychological “homelessness” due to long periods of living in group settings, and only after exiting these facilities do they begin to create a home, experiencing “having a home” as a positive and meaningful space.
Finally, appropriate support is needed, considering the disparities in housing experiences among YAAC. These disparities were evident in various aspects such as experiences in institutional housing, post-exit housing, current housing types, economic difficulties, career decisions, and work experiences. These differences could lead to feelings of relative deprivation within the group of YAAC. Therefore, careful support and management that take into account differences between institutions and individual circumstances are necessary. Additionally, to reduce these disparities, attention should be given to children currently in protective care and improvements in the quality of housing environments within facilities.
This study focused on the characteristics of home-making and the relationships inherent in the housing experiences of YAAC. It also confirmed that these youth are active and autonomous agents of their own lives. By shedding light on the meaning of home as experienced by these youth, the study provides valuable implications for policy development and future research.