Brief report: Youth homelessness, youthful caregiving, and resilience. (October 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Frederick, Tyler J.; Vitopoulos, Nina; Stamatopoulos, Vivian; Kidd, Sean A.
• Is Part Of: Children and youth services review. Volume 129(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-10
• Subjects: Homelessness -- Youth -- Young carers -- Parentification -- Qualitative methods; Social work with children -- Periodicals; Social work with youth -- Periodicals; Adolescent -- Periodicals; Child Welfare -- Periodicals; Social Work -- Periodicals; Service social aux enfants -- Périodiques; Service social à la jeunesse -- Périodiques; Electronic journals; 362.705
• DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2021.106177
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0190-7409

Abstract

Highlights: Young caring is an experience that intersects with youth homelessness. Young caring is not just a cause of homelessness, but can continue after a young person leaves home. Young carers exhibit resilience, but it is a resilience that can put them at risk. Young carers experiencing homelessness are overlooked in policy and service provision. Abstract: Research on young people experiencing homelessness often emphasizes the role of abuse, neglect, and rejection from guardians in the process of pushing or forcing young people out of the home. More recently, the research has begun to pay attention to how parents and other family members can remain a part of a young person's network throughout their homelessness trajectory. Nevertheless, within this literature, questions remain about the impact of ongoing family dynamics on youths' potential pathways through homelessness. This paper aims to focus on one type of family dynamic in particular, that of the young caregiver experiencing homelessness. The analysis uses interviews with five young people with histories of young caring and homelessness to stimulate future research on how youthful caregiving intersects with the experience of housing instability and youth homelessness. The paper focuses on three main themes: insights into the nature of the family dynamic and the caregiving relationship, discussions about the burden associated with the care relationship, and themes about resilience.