The indigenous child welfare system and transitions to independence: a scoping review

Amanda Ervin, Hannah Odekina, Anika Dirk, Fatemeh Salehi-Shahrabi, Chloe Luck, Mary Greenshields and Janice M. Victor

Children and Youth Services Review, 2026, vol. 180, issue C

Abstract: This scoping review examined research on Indigenous youths’ experiences as they transition to independence, and out of the child welfare system. Key topics included homelessness, barriers to cultural connections, mistrust of the welfare system, and contact with the criminal justice system as cross-over youths. Themes identified in this scoping review are Cultural Support for Transitions, Housing and Homelessness, Criminal Justice and Incarceration, and Social and Structural Determinants. Recommendations emphasized the extension of government support beyond 18 years of age and maintaining youth connections to family, community and culture. The review highlighted the need for more Indigenous-led research to better represent and address these issues.

Keywords: Scoping review; Indigenous youth; Indigenous child welfare; Care leavers; Transitions to independence; Aging out (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:180:y:2026:i:c:s0190740925005717

DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2025.108688

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