Research and public policies for young people in transition to adulthood and in protective custody in the Community of Madrid
This paper reviews four quantitative and mixed-methods research projects focused on both the problems, challenges and needs of young people under protection in their transition to adulthood, as well as the actions developed to foster their social inclusion. Based on the principal conclusions of these studies, the main objective of this transversal synthesis is to provide relevant information about the synergies, contradictions and dilemmas of the employed approaches for the transition to adulthood of young people leaving the child protection system. This information is organized around a series of nodal points focused on both the analyzed reality and the answers available for guiding future action in this regard. The results highlight the relevance of positive approaches in intervention, the search for autonomy and training in competencies, gender differences in the response to intervention, the need to address the significant school dropout rate, the dilemma of intervention with and from the family, as well as the migratory challenge. The accompanying social policies, specifically the knowledge exchange processes developed between public institutions, social entities and universities, also provide a reference.