6/28/2022 11:30:00 AM

Rada hl. At Monday’s meeting, the City of Prague approved the Concept of Support for Young People Leaving Substitute Care of the Capital City of Prague. m of Prague for the years 2022-2027.

For the first time ever, this issue is being addressed comprehensively, with the capital supporting young people to provide cross-responsibilities in the areas of relationships, housing, education and work.

Young people leaving alternative care tend to have more difficult conditions for entering adulthood. On average, they leave foster care eight years earlier than their family peers, which is exposed to many risks. Every year, around 200 homeless young people use the services of the Prague low-threshold day center of the Naděje organization. Up to half of them have experience with institutional care. According to a recent study, over 70% of children from institutions are fixed on educators and most often confide in them with problems. As a result, they often have a high degree or no one, after leaving the institution, to whom they could or would like to turn with their needs.

The approved draft of the concept responds primarily to problems with the departure of young people after reaching the age of majority from facilities providing alternative care, such as related children’s homes, educational institutions, facilities for children requiring immediate assistance, etc., or from persons caring for children in alternative care for family care.

To prepare for the transition to adult life, employees of social and legal protection bodies of children with social curators and the non-profit sector cooperate with adolescents. However, it is only a social work activity.

“Until recently, there was practically no system of support for young people leaving alternative care in the Czech Republic. Only this year did the state start offering support in the form of a care allowance and entitlement to the help of a social worker. However, this help, although welcome, is still insufficient and, moreover, only for those who want to continue their studies and are under 26 years old. At the same time, we have several dozen young people in Prague who grew up in institutional care and are now homeless. Hundreds of others are at risk of a similar situation, “says Milena Johnová, Councilor for Social Policy and Health Care, adding:” For example, we have created a special program in the Social Endowment Fund and established cooperation with non-profit organizations to solve and prevent these problems. With the help of the Concept, we will create another comprehensive offer of help, from housing, through financial assistance to internships, so that young people can finally have a home and background that they did not have as children. ”

Prague wants to be a city that comprehensively addresses the support of young people leaving alternative care. Especially in the areas of everyday life that are most affected by risks and side effects. Specifically, it is the area of ​​relationships, housing, education and work.

“Young adults who leave institutional or foster care face a high risk of social decline and homelessness, which are related to insufficient family and social background, but also to alternative care, which is not optimally adjusted. As one of the goals of this strategy, we have set that Prague will therefore offer affordable housing, either in the form of training, training or start-up flats for people who are in foster care or independent housing for young people who have already left foster care. After all, Prague has been renting start-up and training flats for children’s homes and non-profit organizations for a long time, ”adds Adam Zábranský, Councilor for Housing and Transparency.

The concept just proposed, which contains an analytical and design part, describes the whole issue in detail, and above all proposes suitable ways of support for each of the risk areas. This would prevent the emergence of possible problems and make this difficult period of life easier for young adults leaving alternative care. The proposed measures will be implemented in practice by the relevant departments of the City Hall. m of Prague and also the Social Endowment Fund of the Capital m of Prague.