The Precarious Independence of Youth Forced Out of Orphanages

Tragic Deaths of Orphanage Alumni Youths in Six Days
Extended Protection Period...Need for Social Adaptation Training Also

As young adults raised in childcare facilities continue to make extreme choices, the need for supplementary measures such as psychological support and social adaptation training is being raised. The photo is not related to the specific content of the article. [Image source=Pixabay]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jung-wan] Recently, there have been consecutive extreme choices made by young adults who grew up in childcare facilities, highlighting the need to supplement the self-reliance system. In July, the government announced plans to amend related laws to extend the protection period, which was previously until the age of 18, up to the age of 24 if the individual wishes, allowing them to stay in the facility or receive support as protected children. However, criticisms remain that this is still insufficient.

According to the Gwangju Gwangsan Police Station on the 24th, at around 7:17 a.m. that day, a 19-year-old woman, A, was found dead in an apartment in Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju. A grew up in a childcare facility until the age of 18 and was understood to have moved last year to a rental apartment where her disabled father lived. Police believe that A made an extreme choice by going up to a high floor of the apartment where she lived at around 2 a.m. that day. It is reported that she left a suicide note saying, "I was shocked by the recent death of a friend. I am sorry to my family and others."

Earlier, on the 21st, an 18-year-old university student B, who grew up in a local childcare center, was found dead in a farm near a lecture building at a university in Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju. B is presumed to have fallen from the rooftop of the lecture building at around 4:25 p.m. on the 18th of this month. In his dorm room, there were untouched poisonous substances and soju, along with a note that read, "There are still many books I haven't finished reading." It is known that B recently expressed to a childcare worker over the phone that "It is very hard because there is no one to take care of me."

As young adults from orphanages in Gwangju continue to make extreme choices, discussions on related supplementary measures are ongoing. [Image source=Yonhap News]

One in four children who have aged out of protection bear debt burdens, and half have contemplated extreme choices. According to the 2020 "Survey on the Actual Conditions and Needs for Self-Reliance of Children Who Have Aged Out of Protection" by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, among 3,836 children who stayed in facilities or whose protection ended, 40.1% lived on livelihood benefits, and 22.3% on self-reliance allowances. Among children who aged out of protection, 24.3% had debts averaging around 6.05 million KRW for living or housing expenses. The rate of those considering extreme choices was 50.0%, three times higher than that of general youth (16.3% as of 2018).

Since June, the government has allowed the protection period, previously until age 18, to be extended up to age 24 based on the individual's will, slightly increasing the preparation period for young adults to stand on their own. The self-reliance allowance paid to youth who have aged out of protection was also raised from 300,000 KRW to 350,000 KRW per month. However, beyond protection periods and financial support, there is a growing call for psychological support and social adaptation training.

Currently, young adults preparing for independence can receive ten one-on-one professional psychological counseling sessions free of charge over three months through the "Youth Mental Health Voucher." However, according to a survey conducted from January to December last year, 25% of youth who aged out of protection were unreachable, making it difficult to accurately assess their situation or provide support. Additionally, the number of youth managed by a single self-reliance support officer is large, making detailed approaches challenging.

According to the Child Welfare Act, post-management for five years is required for those becoming independent from childcare facilities, but due to the lack of specific management plans, active management is difficult. On the afternoon of the 25th, Gwangju Mayor Kang Ki-jung held a briefing and stated, "We will promote customized projects involving protected children and the community starting from the facilities," adding, "We will establish accompaniment programs between public institutions and child protection facilities and develop and support programs for child growth and psychological stability such as psychological therapy, health, and sports in cooperation with the local community." On the same day, the Ministry of Health and Welfare also released materials and began preparing supplementary measures such as expanding dedicated personnel for self-reliance support and increasing the number of case management targets.

※ If you have difficult-to-talk-about concerns such as depression or know family or acquaintances experiencing such difficulties, you can receive 24-hour expert counseling at suicide prevention hotline ☎1393, mental health counseling ☎1577-0199, Hope Call ☎129, Lifeline ☎1588-9191, and Youth Hotline ☎1388.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.