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Our Journey Through Aftercare; Voices of Experience explores the journey of twenty young people who had travelled into, through and from the residential care system. In doing so, the differences and similarities of the young people´s pre- care and through-care experiences were explored as well as the difficulties and challenges they faced in their transition to adulthood and independence. The book identifies three distinct transitions from residential care, those that had travelled a smooth transition, those that had experienced an unstable transition but whose circumstances improved over time and those whose transition was volatile or considerably more problematic and who are still mired in precarious social circumstances. The transitions highlight the diversity of the young people´s experiences in such a way that emphasizes more clearly the supports that enable some young people to transition successfully and the barriers that lead others towards social exclusion. What is important about this book is the detailed and reflective accounts provided by young people, which gives human resonance to the care leavers´ experiences

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Mary T Kilkenny (B.A., M.A., MPhil) has worked in social care for over twenty years and has a wealth of experience in preparing and supporting young people to meet the challenges involved in leaving State care. She was directly involved in the establishment of inclusive and responsive aftercare initiatives and policies for Tusla CFA in Ireland.

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