« Malgré tout, on ne s’en est pas si mal sortis ! ». Parcours de transition à la vie adulte à la sortie d’un placement extrafamilial

The article focuses on the transition to adulthood after leaving out-of-home care. The period of transition to adulthood presents many challenges in terms of training, social
and professional integration and, more broadly, attaining independence. Based on 20 biographical interviews conducted in the cantons of Fribourg and Neuchâtel with people placed in care between the 1950s and 1980s, this article focuses on several significant elements of this transition: the first job, economic independence, and marriage. The stories show that people leaving out-of-home care often have to face this period alone and with limited human capital. The socio-economic context of these years, which was more favorable to professional integration without a diploma, played a positive role, particularly for men. For men, the transition to adult life was often delayed, sometimes for years after the placement, whereas it was more immediate for women. Although for most the transition was achieved, inequality, arbitrariness and abuse remain central issues that continue to resonate in the stories decades later.