Saki Nagano

The paper explores disparities faced by youth leaving foster care, emphasizing the importance of relational permanence and their right to participate in life decisions. It highlights the challenges in accessing education and healthcare and the impact of these disparities on their identity formation and societal integration. This paper focuses on the living conditions of youth, especially those needing foster care. The living conditions of young people who have left foster care have been largely unknown until the 2020 national survey in Japan－the situation “after” leaving foster care that is becoming clear points to disparities in “Life Chances”. Life Chances, a concept defined by Ralf Dahrendorf, are determined by the interrelationship between options and ligatures. This paper details options and ligatures for young people who left foster care. For example, in terms of disparities in options, the rate of public assistance receipt among youth who have experienced foster care is about 18 times that of their peers, and there are also disparities in the rate of entrance to university and other higher education. The percentage of university graduates is only ２％ . Furthermore, the Covid-19 pandemic has significantly impacted food security and access to medical care. In the face of such a dire crisis, young people who have grown up in foster care find it challenging to turn to their biological families or former caregivers for support. This lack of connectedness can be seen as a constraint in their chances of life. The need to ensure relational permanence is becoming increasingly urgent in the foster care system. Moreover, the identity of young people in foster care is often profoundly shaken, making it difficult for them to form connections with others and society, potentially leading to isolation. It is of utmost importance that they are given the right to voice their concerns and actively participate in decisions that shape their lives.