Recent years has seen a shift away from youth transitions being understood in terms of a linear progression towards conventional goals. Instead, it is argued that youth transitions now tend to be highly chaotic, involving a non linear and fragmented movement back and forth between dependence and independence (Brynner 2005; Stephen and Squires 2003). Significantly, for many young people, the ability to experiment with various modes of adult behaviour is coupled with the security of being able to return to the family home should they become unable to support themselves at a later date.

This paper considers the transition made specifically by young people in the state care system into adulthood and independence. It is argued that young people leaving the state care system are seldom afforded the luxury of a more gradual and non-linear transition. Instead, for them, the possibilities of adult futures remain marked by chronic and continuing exclusion as they move into what is referred to as ‘instant adulthood’. For these young people, their transition tends to be abrupt, final and triggered at a fixed point in time by a calendar birthday (often at aged 18 or younger). This is compounded by the fact that young people in care often emerge from disadvantaged families and excluded groups, where they have suffered from a disrupted education, family breakdown, low parental support or neglect (Gaskell 2010; Jacklin et al 2006; Jackson 2010).

Considering evidence from the UK, Australia and the USA this paper outlines the ‘instant adulthood’ experienced by young people leaving state care. The paper then draws specifically from the findings of a UK research study conducted in 2010 by the author looking at the personal experiences of young people leaving care. Drawing from 30 in-depth, tape recorded interviews with young people, social workers and further and higher education institutions, the paper discusses the experiences of young people leaving state care, including its effect over their own sense of fallibility and personal identity.

Barry, M. (2010) ‘Youth Transitions: From Offending to Desistance’, in Journal of Youth Studies, 13 (1), pp. 121-136 Bynner, J. (2005) ‘Rethinking the Youth Phase of the Life-Course: the Case for Emerging Adulthood?’ in Journal of Youth Studies, 8 (4), pp. 367-384 Gaskell, C. (2010), ‘If the Social Worker had Called at Least it Would Show they Cared’: Young Care Leavers’ Perspectives on the Importance of Care’, in Children and Society, 24 pp. 136–147 Jacklin, A., Robinson, C., and Torrance, H. (2006). When Lack of Data is Data: Do we really know who our Looked after Children are?’ European Journal of Special Needs Education, 21(1) pp. 1–20 Jackson, S. (2010) ‘Education for Social Inclusion: Can we Change the Future for Children in Care?’, Based on Inaugural Professorial Lecture delivered at the Institute of Education, 27th April 2010, London, Institute of Education Stephen, D. and Squires, P. (2003) ‘Adults don’t realise how Sheltered they are’: A Contribution to the Debate on Youth Transitions from some Voices on the Margins’, in Journal of Youth Studies, 6 (2), pp. 145-164