Leaving Care Getting ready for adult life Conference

Leaving Care – Getting ready for adult life Conference and the workshop on 20 th anniversary of FICE Europe and the current Hungarian Child Care Law Quality of Alternative Care for Children and Youth in Europe the Past, the Present, the Future 18 -19 th September 2017, Esztergom, Hungary

SOS Children’s Village International IOR CEE/CIS v 25 Member Associations (9 EU countries, Western Balkans; Caucasus; Central Asia; CIS, Israel) v 71 programme locations v 5, 100 children in alternative care Israel p. 2 [optional footer]

Empower young people 2030 Strategy components ■ Work on all stages of a child's and young person's development to prepare them to be self-reliant ■ Focus on coaching formal education and career development to increase employability and entrepreneurial skills ■ Strongly support youth to enter the job market ■ Train care co-workers on how to prepare children, young people and parents to succeed in life ■ Enable young people to participate in shaping care practices ■ Shift away from youth homes with institutional features and find individual care options p. 3 [optional footer]

Individual approach Alternative C are & Streng thening Fam ilies Individual Childcare Plan p. 4 [optional footer]

Leading towards autonomy In finding a summer or part-time job, while still in care to reach emotional stability & have appropriate selfperception development of social skills to communicate and interact with others Provide career guidance; counselling on how to find a new job to complete compulsory schooling Support them to develop life skills p. 5 [optional footer]

Our youth care approach v. Care procedure follows and ensures the Right of the children/young person v. Child admission is based on the best interest of the child (the best care option is taken) v. Properly selected and trained care giver/s is/are guiding the admitted children/young person v. Good quality case management and child/young person development planning procedures are in place v. Structured care leaving procedure is part of the care process v. Quality of care is regularly monitored v. Care process is supported by well trained professionals v. Adequate financial resources for good quality care procedures are ensured p. 6 [optional footer]

Semi-independent living programme • In almost all MAs in CEE/CIS, SOS CVs provides support to young people leaving care • State financial support is limited and partial in majority of the countries – e. g. social housing, scholarships for University students and etc. p. 7 [optional footer]

Lobby and Advocacy LEAVING CARE ANDEMPLOYMENT IN FIVE EUROPEAN COUNTRIES http: //www. soschildrensvillages. org/publications/researchand-positions p. 8 [optional footer]

LEAVING CARE AND EMPLOYMENT IN FIVE EUROPEAN COUNTRIES SURVEY Recommendations v Leaving care should be seen as a process and not an event • The process has multiple elements which have their own timeframes, elements include housing, employment, education etc. v The timing of planning for leaving care should mirror the transition of other young people not in care • Young people should not be planning for leaving care when they’re in the midst of education and training v Local, Regional and National governments work together to collect data on care leavers as a recognised vulnerable group • p. 9 Young people should be involved in the adoption of these plans so that they know what information is being held about them [optional footer]

Project coordinator SOS Children’s Villages International Implementing partners SOS Children’s Villages national associations in Spain, Latvia, Lithuania, Italy and Croatia together with more than 30 national partners (see back of page) and CELCIS. Associated partner at EU level Eurochild A CHILD PROTECTION SYSTEM THAT WORKS FOR PROFESSIONALS AND YOUNG PEOPLE p. 10 Funding The project is co-funded by the Rights, Equality and Citiyenship (REC) Programme of the European Union and SOS Children’s Villages. [optional footer]

OBJECTIVE Embed a child rights based culture into child protection systems which improves outcomes for children and young people in particular in the preparation for leaving care. HOW WE ACHIEVE THIS Capacity Building Train care professionals on how to embed a child rightsbased approach to their work especially in preparation for leaving care. Awareness raising & Advocacy Raise awareness about the need to sustain such trainings in the long run together with key stakeholders in the field of child protection at national and international level. p. 11 [optional footer]

Main issues highlighed by the scoping § § § Being cared for Participation Individuality Age of leaving care Preparation and support for transition and after care § A transition period § Consistency of the p. 12 § § § leaving care process Independent living Maintaining relationship An inter-sectoral approach An enabling environment Capacity building Promoting positive change [optional footer]

Quotes from care leavers (peer to peer interviews) On the one hand it’s a wonderful thing, but on the other it’s also a source of concern and anxiety because you don’t know what will come next, and if you do know, well, maybe you are even more frightened, like, “Oh gosh, 18 means: find a job, pay the rent, do the shopping…”. And then all the rest, like have someone to talk with who is not one of your friends, because sometimes you don’t need a friend, but just an older person who has more experience than you and can help you. p. 13 First of all, the gaining of independence should be treated as a process where you could see how things are going. And whether that person is ready. And if she or he isn’t ready, they should at least have someone on their side, so that they don’t just automatically stumble and fall. They need to understand that we are people. They need to understand us more. I mean, there are many variables, and you must be ready to face them all, having at your disposal the necessary tools to make the best decision for your future. I can only report my personal experience, but I know that other guys were really taken aback at the last minute. We are not parcels in the post to be moved arbitrarily. We have the right to know and to be ready to leave. [optional footer]