Why are we doing a project on leaving care?
International studies show that young people who grew up in care tend to have fewer chances to have a good start into adulthood. One of the reasons for this is that there are often high expectations for young people in care to become independent at a very early stage. They often have to face greater challenges than young people who grew up in their families of origin.
Young people in care should be prepared for and supported in their transition from the care system to independent living. Some services and support should also be made available to them after they have left care.
What is the project about?
The leaving care project will run from 2009 to 2011, with a geographical focus on Europe and Central Asia. Its objectives are knowledge-sharing on leaving care, youth empowerment, and the improvement of legislation and practice on leaving care. Young people with experience in growing up in alternative care actively take part in the project and therefore contribute to shaping legislation and practice on leaving care.
Countries participating in this project are: Albania, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Georgia, Germany, Kyrgyzstan, Poland, Russia and Uzbekistan.
Contact details:
For more information about this project and if you want to subscribe to the Leaving Care Newsletter (published three times per year), please write to: lao@sos-kd.org
The information folder about the project can be found in the column on the right hand side of this page.