Examining Policies and Practices to Support Young People Transitioning From Out‐of‐Home Care (OOHC) in Asia: What Do We Know From Existing Grey Literature?

ABSTRACT Young people transitioning from out‐of‐home care, also known as care leavers, are globally recognised as a vulnerable group. There is a scarcity of literature on leaving care across the Global South, including Asia. The authors examined policies and practices from the grey literature to gain insights from broader literature beyond peer‐reviewed literature on Asia, which is relatively scarce and has a distinct social and cultural context compared with Global North countries, where most care‐leaving studies have been conducted. The authors used one knowledge hub (Better Care Network), which is regularly used by global non‐government organisations and civil societies across the globe in alternative care, to search for publications concerning policies and practices related to leaving care in Asia. This article reports on 43 documents identified. Several key themes emanated from this review. They are (1) leaving care and aftercare policies and practices in Asia; (2) implications of existing policy and practices for young people's outcomes; (3) less attention or support to care leavers' physical wellbeing and mental health compared with other aftercare support. The implications for research, policy and practice are further discussed.