"I spent all my settlement funds in just one month"... The economic blind spots faced by youth aging out of care

The economic uncertainty and difficulties in securing housing faced by young people who are about to finish their care or have already begun living independently have been revealed. In the 48th episode of KBS 'Street Dinner' aired on November 17, 2019, young people preparing for independence appeared to share specific details of their lives after leaving care facilities.

"Squandering settlement funds due to lack of economic awareness"... The reality of losing scholarship support

The settlement funds received upon leaving a facility serve as a starting point for independence, but a large sum of money encountered in an unprepared state can also act as a poison. The participants in the video explained how the approximately 5 million won in settlement funds provided upon discharge is spent in situations where there is a lack of economic experience. One participant revealed that they used all the settlement funds in just one month because they did not know how to use such a large amount of money for the first time. They failed to make economic plans while spending money on things they wanted to eat, things they wanted to buy, and socializing with friends. It was mentioned that a vicious cycle occurs where economic deprivation leads to difficulties in maintaining studies, such as failing to manage grades and losing eligibility for scholarship support.

On the other hand, cases were identified where individuals responded in their own ways, such as locking the settlement funds in a savings account through economic education within the facility, or explaining their situation to university professors to be selected as work-study students to cover living expenses. This suggests that the quality of independence can vary greatly depending on an individual's state of preparation.

"Eighteen years old and doesn't even know how to find a house"... Complex housing support systems and blind spots

Housing issues were cited as one of the most realistic barriers faced by youth preparing for independence. Although they can utilize the support systems of the Korea Land and Housing Corporation, it was pointed out as a difficulty that the application process is complex and takes more than a month of waiting for approval. In particular, it was mentioned that young people with zero experience in finding a house are highly likely to exhaust their settlement funds on monthly rent because they cannot find a place to stay during the application period, or to suffer damages due to a lack of information during the real estate contract process.

To support these issues, dedicated independence support workers (social workers) are deployed, but structural limitations were also revealed, such that it is difficult to provide sufficient individual housing support because the number of children one worker must manage is high. The participants explained that the environment where they must bear all responsibilities themselves simply because they have become legal adults is acting as an increased burden on the youth.

The shadow of deaths without kin and social isolation

Isolation during the process of independence leads even to matters of survival. In the video, cases were mentioned where friends who had left the facilities in the past ended their own lives because they could not endure lonely lives. Especially in the case of those without kin, the reality was conveyed that they face difficulties during the process of receiving a body because they have no immediate family, or are unable to have proper cremation and burial, failing to receive social protection until their final moments. The participants emphasized that polarization among youth preparing for independence is intensifying, and that blind spots exist where they cannot receive appropriate legal help due to livelihood issues after employment.