1. Yifat Mor-Salwo, Hebrew University Prof. Anat Zeira, Hebrew University The EUSARF13 th Conference, Copenhagen, Denmark, September 2014

2. The Transition to Adulthood The transition to adulthood of young people growing up out-of-home (care leavers) is short and full of risk They are amongst the most vulnerable in society They participate less in higher education than their peers in the general population There are only few studies on care leavers succeeding in the transition to adulthood

3. The Israeli context The educational residential setting is larger than in most other countries The multi-cultural origin affects the characteristics of youth in educational residential settings Many care leavers go to the army after care

4. Transition to Adulthood in Israel The key scenario of transition to adulthood in Israel: finishing high school military service extended travel after military service integration into higher education integration into work and establishing family

5. The aim of the study: To broaden understanding of factors relating to integration into higher education of alumni of educational residential settings as part of their transition to adulthood.

6. Theoretical Framework The broad conceptual framework includes the resilience approach, the identity capital model and the social capital model Resilience approach provides a framework for understanding the success of young care leavers in integrating in higher education, despite their being a vulnerable population

7. The identity capital model explains adaptation of individuals to independent life based on their resources The social capital model explains adaptation of individuals to independent life based on the resources available to them through their membership in an established social network “Compressed networks” (many and strong connections) help members progress in society. Networks spread across groups provide more opportunities for progress.

8. Method Qualitative approach Semi-structured in-depth interviews 45 Care leavers from 3 cultural origin groups: Israel, former Soviet Union and Ethiopia Analysis focused on shared themes Open coding to develop categories of information Axial coding to reconstruct the data, make connections between categories

9. Main Findings Care leavers integrating into higher education desired to conform to the key scenario not to differ from other young people perceiving higher education as a tool for success and progress

10. Care leavers experience difficulties with the key scenario Care leavers often found themselves lagging behind: They started studying later than their peers as they need first to save money for their studies and felt insecure in the educational field Some had to complete matriculation exams or take preparatory programs to be admitted into higher education Their studies lasted longer than usual as they needed to work during their studies

11. The key to success Identity capital and social capital contributed to care leavers’ resilience. The combination of their personal resources and the resources provided by their social networks seems the key to successful integration.

12. Care leavers’ perceptions of factors related to their integration in higher education Factors related to the resources provided by social networks Special programs supporting higher education Provided access to higher education Support during higher education Military service Exposure to young people from different groups Presence of a significant adult Financial support for veterans studying Formative experience Residential care Promoting the educational field Presence of a significant adult Support Formative experience Family Gave importance to acquiring higher education Presence of significant adult with higher education Support Factors related to the care leavers’ resources Tenacity/ Determination Assertiveness Optimism Desire to succeed Persistence Self belief Color key: Compressed network Network across groups

13. “What helped me integrate into higher education - I think that it is my basic qualities and my environment, support from my environment. Without this support even my qualities would not have been able to be expressed”. (Anna)

14. What care leavers think can help them integrate into higher education? Developing their personal resources while in care (confidence in themselves and their abilities) "I think the most important thing is that you have to build or help the boy or girl build their own confidence in their abilities… when they get the experience that they succeed, then high education is something further that they know that they can do and it depends just on their choice” (Getaon).

15. What care leavers think can help them integrate into higher education? Developing the resources that social networks provide young people in and after care During care - providing information, exposure to institutions of higher education, exposure to care leavers who entered higher education. Support for care leavers wanting to enter higher education (scholarships, mentors, emotional support).

16. “...emotional and financial help... Special scholarships for care leavers, I do not think it's asking too much, today dividing out so much money on this or that... when in fact... the real deal is care… those that were three years in care… in youth villages… their life is shit!... 95 percent of the people who studied with me their life was shit! At home, emotionally, in.. I don’t know in what... it is not inventing... and telling stories... We lived it... So I think you need affirmative action for people like us, I think it should be a fund that would really financially and emotionally support people who want to get out of this circle of poverty and the depression and of this no horizon... I'll get out of it at the end of next year but many people do not come out of it... and this glass ceiling that people talking about… it really leaves the people like us down” (Moshe).

17. Conclusions The resilience of care leavers allowing them to integrate into higher education derives from their identity capital and their social capital. These should be developed during and after care.

18. Thank you for your attention! yifatmor@hotmail.com