Drawing on original research, this theoretically grounded book offers important insight into the experiences of vulnerable youth at a critical time in their personal and educational lives. It sets its analysis of policy and practice in full international context and redresses the balance between needs- and rights-based perspectives.

List of Tables; Acknowledgements; Tables of Legislation/Statutory Instruments/International Instruments; Table of Cases; Table of Abbreviations; Chapter 1: Introduction, The Care Leavers' Educational Transitions Study, Theoretical Perspectives, The Structure of the Book; Chapter 2: Alternative Care: The Systems, The Politics of Care: Social Context, Social Policy and Social Care, Alternative Care Regimes: The International Picture, Transitions to Adulthood, A Children's Rights Approach to Leaving Care, Conclusion; Chapter 3: The Characteristics & Experiences of Children in State Care, Diversity in Vulnerability, Using Insights from Attachment Theory to Understand the Experiences and Needs of Children in Care, The Personal Histories of the Young Participants to the Empirical Study, Placement Stability, In the Care of Strangers: Young People's Experiences of Care, The Interdependence of Care and Education, Conclusion; Chapter 4: Children of the State: Corporate Parenting in Principle and Practice, Introduction, Being in Care, Self-reliance, Risk and Resilience, Combining Insights from the Theoretical Perspectives; Chapter 5: Education, Care and Life Chances, The Importance of Education: from the Personal to the Global, The Educational Attainment of Children in State Care, Outcomes for Care Leavers, Conclusion; Chapter 6: Closing the Gap: Improving the Educational Outcomes of Care Leavers, Introduction, Initiatives to Support the Education of Children In and Leaving Care, Supporting Children in School: Findings from the CLET Study, Supporting Young People's Post-16 Pathways, Conclusion: Chapter 7: From Care to Independence: Negotiating Multiple Transitions, Introduction, The Polarized Trajectories of Young People, Transitions in Multiple Domains of Young People's Lives, Assessing Young People's Resilient Adaptation, Leaving Care, Conclusion: Chapter 8: Reconceptualising the State's Duties Towards the Children in its Care, Introduction, Using Insights from Foundational Rights to Evaluate Young People's Care Outcomes, Corporate Parenting and the "Deserving"-"Undeserving" Schism, Corporate Parenting and Individual Children, Corporate Parenting and Education, A Holistic Approach: the Social Pedagogy Model, Conclusion: Chapter 9: Conclusion, Introduction, The Key Findings of the CLET Study, Theorising Care Leavers' Transitions, Conclusion; Appendix 1; References; Index