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Social-Ecological approaches for care-leavers inclusion               

through participatory policy-making

It is a European project that develops in the area of ​​protection of children's rights and within the programs on rights of equal citizenship.

Stand by Me intends to build development and empowerment paths in 4 European countries, Italy, Romania, Cyprus and Sweden, for children who leave the protection and reception systems, and in particular for children involved in judicial proceedings.

Through the participatory construction of tools and working methods, the project intends to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the procedures for accompanying young people towards autonomy, involving them in the process of designing and implementing the mechanisms to be adopted.

It also trains professionals in all the countries involved, in recognizing and addressing the needs and demands related to the path of young people towards autonomy, promoting the adoption of approaches based on respect for rights and the involvement of the community in the design of paths to accompany autonomy.

The project leader, Metropolitan City, guides the 20-month course by coordinating local actions in the 4 countries involved and taking care of dissemination activities at both national and transnational level, leading to the elaboration of a European Alliance of Municipalities that will work on the topic, in optic to promote reforms at local level and activate international paths for sharing and exchange of good practices on the subject.

Objectives: Shaping enabling pathways for children ageing out of alternative care. 

Specific objectives: 

• enhanced efficacy and efficiency of leaving care mechanisms and procedures, by involving targeted young care-leavers in their design;
• improved capacities of professionals to support care leavers;
• improved effectiveness of leaving care mechanisms at a local and Eu level

Activities

• WP1 “Management and coordination”;
• WP2 “Participatory research and mutual learning” – will involve care leavers, professionals and policy makers in designing a Draft Working Protocol and the Guideline on Leaving Care;
• WP3 “Training for professionals” will improve professionals’ skills and will empower young care leavers;
• WP4 “Institutional capacity building” will strengthen capacities of public authorities, while promoting the endorsement of the Working Protocol
• WP5 “Dissemination and scaling-up process” will set up a Transnational Cities Alliance.

Type of persons benefiting from the project:

young care leavers, policy makers and representatives of local public authorities, professionals, representatives of relevant stakeholders (CSOs, schools, VET centers…), beneficiaries involved in awareness campaigns.

Download the Project Summary

This project was funded by the European Union’s Rights Equality and Citizenship Programme (2014-2020) REC–RCH–PROF–AG–2017–785708
This publication reflect the views only of the author and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.