Make-doers (Sub-type 3)

There are four young adults who are make-doers. Two of them are in after-care; the other two are already out of the system, but they were also in after-care provision earlier. All of them were living in institutional care except for one interviewee. The young people who belong to this sub-type within the successful main one are sharply different in their outlooks upon life. In their cases, there were 2 or 3 changes in placement which is why their school careers were interrupted. However, they could manage situations well. Three of them have job; one is studying and has temporary work at the same time. This mixed model is specific for the young people’s focus on the present where they put equal emphasis on work, school, friendships and hobbies. Working young adults are also planning to go on to further studies later. The significant difference is that they no longer need the support of child protection professionals as they have already experienced adult roles. During their child

38 protection provision they found some people who played key roles in their upbringing. They remained independent though; they are self-reliant and convinced that they are capable of retaining control of their life in every situation. They are not afraid of new situations; they willingly try themselves out in situations. They even have experience in working abroad or are planning to take their chances abroad. They do not hide the fact that they were brought up in care but their identities are not affected by this; they are able to apply experience gained during their time in care rather well in all areas of life. They have never experienced prejudice or if they have, they could handle it. Their outlook on life enables them to integrate into communities quite easily. This is what makes them different from the rest: they consider their child protection background a fact of life, they reflect on their past and the present; they do have plans. They have mixed opinions about child protection workers, rooted in the experience of being raised in the system. I am highlighting two themes in their cases, which demonstrate their specific characteristics well: 1) judgement of professionals, and 2) individualism.

Judging professionals and the supporting background

Interviewees’ experiences of the system of children’s homes were that the education staff did not find the method which they could motivate children raised outside natural families with.

Pedagogy based on the traditional rewarding and punishing method is not able to reach targets as children believe that they should be rewarded for their mere participation in school life as well.

“Because I felt that if I attend school, I should be given something in return. As in every children’s home, if the child gives, he gets, simple, although I go to school for my own interest.” (Released 7)

According to their experiences there are only few professionals who are indeed determinant in their life before coming of age, whose opinions were adopted. They share negative views in general about child protection workers, especially about their humanity, personality and they do not find the majority of them competent.

“I think it is mostly up to educators (...) maybe there were 2 or 3 people during public care, who I would say were OK, I am still in touch with them anyway, let me say we are so-called friends, but honestly it was the same then. (...) Just look at it, what qualifications are needed for becoming a children’s supervisor, honestly it’s pathetic. Moreover, there are so many ill people appearing in child protection, you would never believe. Anyway, it could be a social worker, or a psychologist, to put it plainly not every man is up to this task, I believe.

(Released 6)

Young adults did not ever meet discrimination due to their child protection background, but some of them share the view that the education system is not able to handle those living in child

39 protection provision discreetly. School communities’ good-willed behaviours are aggressive in many cases, which give birth to humiliating situations for the young people. One of them told a story that happened at a school Xmas party:

“(...) Xmas is well, rather a critical situation, you know, and the school one, well, it was a horror to me, it made me upset. Moreover, the most embarrassing thing happened to me. I went into the school, and you know, we drew from a hat, bought a present and then we gave them to each other. Then the form master told me that he and the class decided to give me an extra present, a Xmas tree. Imagine how annoying it was for me to carry that fucking Xmas tree in the street, I threw it into the first bin I found. You all go to hell I thought ..., I just cried and cried, humiliate your fucking mother you all!” (Released 7)

They are criticizing faults of the system in connection with their coming of age as well. In the words of one of them, when they reached the age of becoming an adult, it would not mean anything in the child protection system but reaching the age of culpability.

“Consequently, coming of age does not mean in the head that I have grown up, but reaching the time by which I have become punishable, here it starts.” (Released 7)

According to adults already released from the system, those being raised in child protection need professional help, especially just before coming of age, but due to the incompetence of experts, young adults would rather go and face and of course solve their problems on their own. They want to make do alone. In their views, the actual after-care system operating is not any more suitable for giving help to overcome disadvantages than the one that failed them before the time of reaching adulthood. Those already released have the opinion about after-care provision that it only prolongs the time spent in the system and that is why it keeps those under care unmotivated for many long years not to become independent and autonomous enough. As for the state’s attitude, it is a kind of

“luxury” to keep the youth in the system till the age of 24 providing accommodation and in case of continuous studies to provide full provision. They believe that 2 or 3 years of intensive support would be enough for letting the young adults leave the system and get prepared for independent life.

Individualism

The specific characteristic among the individual patterns of the young people belonging to this sub-type is the progressive one with no doubt. They make decisions on their own, they have several plans and many of them are planning to do further studies, or even apply for jobs abroad. They accept their situations, do not agonize about the past, look forward with an optimistic eye and form their own future. The centre of their outlook on life is to be occupied with having their life in the first place above all.

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“I have my own outlook on life: for instance, I would never panic because of a small problem. Of course I cry etc. – but I move on and I don’t really care. Others would not be able to handle this. Or rather, how to put it, I am a bit stiffer in these cases. (...) I keep my life as it is mine. And I do not really care about others’ problems, they are not mine, you know.” (Supported 20)

It is important for the released young people to have an independent life to the full, to lead their life in good financial conditions and to have their needs covered by an income of their current work. It is also important for those in after-care provision, or for those at universities to have a financially stable life. In order to maintain this, they work as well. The 16-year-old Iranian immigrant was put into this sub-type as well, who currently lives and works in after-care provision. He is planning to apply for a job abroad in an English-speaking area in case he assumes Hungarian citizenship. He also wants to acquire the profession of a cook or a hairdresser besides his current one.

They consider themselves fortunate as they have found the thing they like being occupied with, in which they experience success, and which secures their future life for founding a family.

“People might have families, a car or I don’t know, own a flat and everything. Who cares? I will have them as well. This is what I have, and I accept it. However, I can consider myself fortunate really. I have had very good jobs; I do have a perfect vocation for providing me enough to make ends meet. Well, I am lucky.” (Released 7)

They play their adult role with courage, having several plans, they are not afraid of their future. They review their decisions and possible consequences. They are aware of having disadvantages due to their child protection background; however, they all agree that they must turn it into an advantage. They could be affected emotionally by the lack of a family but it also means a kind of freedom for them in that they are independent, they provide for themselves, they do not need others’ benevolence, or even commiseration when they face the most difficult situations in their life.

“Well, my disadvantage is that I have no family, nowhere to go home; so when I struggle with any serious problems I cannot turn to my mum, dad, or to any of my relatives; then again for them it’s difficult to solve a certain problem which is just a piece of cake to me.

That is to say for example I have never had problems in finding a job.” (Released 7)

Well, these young people are mobile as far as jobs are concerned. They are daring, they try out whatever comes (which is remunerative both professionally and financially); they take the

41 opportunity; they declare that it is always time for a change if a better chance offers itself. One of them worked for many months in three European countries.

“(...) then came this chance for working abroad, I accepted it and went to Scotland to work.

(...) And then came another foreign journey to Greece, to work in a brand new hotel starting up as a cook. I also got a job in Spain. I spent nearly five months over there. I am not at all sure it is optimal for a young person to experience so many workplaces, (...) what I say is, go and see and experience as much as you can.” (Released 7)

As for young adults who belong to this sub-type, they consider founding a family as a chance to get their childhood disadvantages over with and for them the family is to hold on to. They have no supporting family but will have their own one in which they might find emotional stability.