Aftercare is a critical phase in the child protection process, aimed at supporting young people transitioning from foster care to independence during their challenging transition to adulthood. These young people face many challenges, such as lower educational attainment, poor employment prospects, dependency on social assistance, mental health issues, and often weaker social support networks compared to their peers. Strengthening their social network and support would improve their transition to adulthood and overall well-being. The focus of the project "Building an Ecosystem of Participation and Support for Aftercare Youth in Ostrobothnia - JOTEP" is to reform aftercare into a multidisciplinary support for adulthood, ensuring that all young people have the skills to manage independently and progress towards their goals in education and employment. The project aims to develop aftercare services and increase youth participation in service planning. The project is implemented in multidisciplinary collaboration with the Ostrobothnia Welfare Area, Vaasa University of Applied Sciences, Yrkeshögskolan Novia, and the Helsinki Deaconess Institute. The project addresses significant challenges related to supporting aftercare youth in the Ostrobothnia Welfare Area. The main development needs and problems the project aims to solve are: Fragmentation of aftercare services and challenges in transition phases Special and multidisciplinary needs of aftercare youth Support needed by aftercare youth for transitioning to adulthood Development of knowledge base and data-driven management, and addressing the skills gap among professionals Lack of participation of aftercare youth in service development. The goal of developing aftercare services is to give young people a voice and role in the planning and development of services, and to create comprehensive support for their transition to adulthood, ensuring smooth and well-guided transitions in services. Additionally, the aim is to create and model a functional ecosystem to support the transition to adulthood for aftercare youth, ensuring that services are based on clear metrics and that data is utilized in the continuous development of services. The project's development measures aim to meet the needs of young people by actively involving them and providing intensive daily support. Professionals' expertise is enhanced, and an ecosystem is built in the region to support young people. Professionals receive training and support in the developed operational models and multidisciplinary collaboration practices. Through training and coaching, professionals learn to understand the diverse needs of young people, the importance of participation, and how to support young people more effectively. Additionally, they receive tools for data management and impact assessment, improving their ability to target support to the right needs. As a result of the project, young people receive higher quality and more individualized support, and professionals can provide services that meet the real needs of young people and better support their independence.
