Exploring the Narratives of Adults with History of Neglect Raised in Institutional Care and Transitioning Through the Independent Living Program
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.69569/jip.2025.624Keywords:
Child neglect, Independent living program, Youth transition from care, Qualitative, Residential careAbstract
Child neglect represents the most prevalent, yet frequently underrecognized, form of child maltreatment, and is associated with enduring psychological, cognitive, and social consequences. In the Philippines, thousands of children experiencing neglect or abandonment are placed in institutional care facilities (DSWD, 2023). Upon reaching the age of legal emancipation, these youth are expected to transition to adulthood, often through the government’s Independent Living Program (ILP), which aims to prepare them for self-reliant living. While Independent Living Programs (ILPs) deliver fundamental life skills, vocational training, and psychosocial support, they often remain insufficient in addressing the deep-seated psychological effects stemming from early neglect and institutionalization. Employing a narrative inquiry approach, thirteen (13) purposively selected respondents were interviewed through semi-structured formats, and the data were analyzed using NVivo (version 14) software. Narratives revealed themes of parental absence and family disruption, chronic poverty and deprivation, early adultification and responsibility, family dysfunction and emotional strain, resilience and coping strategies, pathways to support and intervention, emotional responses to separation and institutional transition, and structure, discipline, and institutional routine. This study provides a foundation for future research in the fields of child welfare, youth development, and mental health. Future researchers can build on this study’s findings by exploring the longitudinal impacts of neglect on youth in independent living programs, as well as the effectiveness of various intervention strategies in supporting care leavers.
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