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“MANUAL FOR CARE LEAVERS” as A TOOL FOR LEAVING CARE SUCCESSFULLY - good practice in the leaving care field in Poland. Beata Kulig , 4th of April , 2011. Good practice in leaving care field in Poland. HOW TO IDENTIFY NEEDS IN LEAVING CARE FILED Leaving Care analysis
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“MANUAL FOR CARE LEAVERS” as A TOOL FOR LEAVING CARE SUCCESSFULLY -good practice in the leaving care field in Poland Beata Kulig, 4th of April, 2011
Good practice in leaving care field in Poland HOW TO IDENTIFY NEEDS IN LEAVING CARE FILED Leaving Care analysis shows status quo of situation of children and young people ageing out of care. deals with leaving care and after care services in a country, i.e. authorities’ policy and practice. Followed by ‘I matter’ campaign 2008-2009 - research in relevant countries 2009-2011 - ‘I matter’ campaign takes place Beata Kulig, 4th of April 2011
Good practice in leaving care field in Poland Facts and figures (2008) Population of Poland – almost 38 Million people Almost 96,000 children and young people live in alternative care. Almost 70% of children without parental care lived in foster families: kinship care and foster care . Beata Kulig, 4th of April 2011
Good practice in leaving care field in Poland Facts and figures (2008) 4,120 young people aged 18-25 left care (acc. to General Statistical Office). No further data available (e.g. on education, unemployment, etc.) on national level. Beata Kulig, 4th of April 2011
Good practice in leaving care field in Poland Stakeholders in Leaving Care process • governmental level: Ministry of Labour and Social Policy. In charge of creating law dedicated to social assistance system • local authorities level: Poland’s 16 provinces are subdivided into districts, which in turn consist of communes. Each district chief runs a District Centre for Family Support. This Centre is tasked with social assistance duties • NGO’s and church organizations Beata Kulig, 4th of April 2011
Good practice in leaving care field in Poland Legislation dedicated to leaving care and after care • The Social Assistance Act voted in 2004, • Regulation of Ministry of Labour and Social Policy of 23 Dec. 2004 Beata Kulig, 4th of April 2011
Good practice in leaving care field in Poland Individual plan for leaving care • The main tool to work with during leaving care process. • Social contract between a care leaver and District Centre for Family Support. • Prepared by young person and guardian at least 1 month before the young person turns 18. • Assisted and validated by the Centre. • Basis for financial, material, housing and education assistance. Beata Kulig, 4th of April 2011
Good practice in leaving care field in Poland Types of support offered to care leavers • Financial support • Material support • Housing support • Education support • Employment support Beata Kulig, 4th of April 2011
Good practice in leaving care field in Poland Example of good practice (1/4) Life skills • ‘Integration for self-reliance’ project run by Warsaw Centre for Family Support meant to polish life skills, professional counseling and individual meeting with tutor (emotional support). Participation is voluntary. • ‘Centre for Support Development’ in Lodz, dedicated to counseling, training and employment-seeking assistance. Former care leavers as ‘Peer mentors’. Beata Kulig, 4th of April 2011
Good practice in leaving care field in Poland Example of good practice (2/4) • ‘Vehicles of self-reliance’ program of Robinson Crusoe Foundation: one-year long training sessions offer psychological support and development of life skills (e.g. communication skills). ‘We help you, you help others’. If participants invent and implement projects valuable for local community, the Foundation provides them with support in their professional development. Beata Kulig, 4th of April 2011
Good practice in leaving care field in Poland Example of good practice (3/4) Housing • SOS Children’s Villages Housing Programme • ‘For the beginning’ project in StargardSzczecinski (North-West Poland). A mutual program of communal and district authorities, NGO’s and Stargard’s Society for Social Housing. • 2-phase program: (1) care leaver may obtain separate room in a flat, along with other beneficiaries, and learns life skills, (2) care leaver may move into his or her separate flat . Beata Kulig, 4th of April 2011
Good practice in leaving care field in Poland Example of good practice (4/4) Legal assistance • The Warsaw-based Association for Legal Intervention • The NGO Committee for Protection of Children’s Rights Beata Kulig, 4th of April 2011
Good practice in leaving care field in Poland • „MANUAL FOR CARE LEAVERS” • needs of young people aging out of care • Joint initiative of SOS CV’s Poland and Robinson Crusoe Foundation Beata Kulig, 4th of April 2011
Good practice in leaving care field in Poland • „MANUAL FOR CARE LEAVERS” • previous experiences of partners • Interviews with young people leaving care • Youth participation – selection of themes and proofreading later on • layout consulted with young people • feedback Beata Kulig, 4th of April 2011
Good practice in leaving care field in Poland • „MANUAL FOR CARE LEAVERS”Themes (1/3) • (1) „soft-skills” areas – basis for workshops • Personal development and health • Relatives and friends – how to build up and establish good relationship Beata Kulig, 4th of April 2011
Good practice in leaving care field in Poland • „MANUAL FOR CARE LEAVERS” Themes (2/3) • Assertiveness • Self-presentation • (2) Information – „hard skills” • Legal framework for leaving care and civic rights • housing and keeping household Beata Kulig, 4th of April 2011
Good practice in leaving care field in Poland • „MANUAL FOR CARE LEAVERS” Themes (3/3) • Finance • Education • Professional career • FAQ, personal stories • of care-leavers Beata Kulig, 4th of April 2011
Good practice in leaving care field in Poland Voices of young people: „I’m so happy I got this manual. All information are given in youth-friendly way. The info I got in social service I was not able to understand” - Marta, 19 years old, Warsaw „My grandmother is my guardian, she is a great person but when we are talking about law regulation, I can’t rely on her knowledge. I don’t understand law when my social worker tries to explain it to me, so it’s great that I finally got this manual” , Jan 20 years old, Katowice Beata Kulig, 4th of April 2011
Good practice in leaving care field in Poland Thank you ! beata.kulig@sos-wd.org +48.503.549.888 Beata Kulig, 4th of April 2011