European care leavers demand equal minimal levels of care and aftercare support all over Europe

We ask that standards levels for care and aftercare are guaranteed all over Europe.

For this we ask a full application of the Convention on the rights of childhood and adolescence in every country, a chance to cooperate with local and international institutions for strengthening active participation and social inclusion.

On behalf of 178 care leavers from 7 European countries, a group of young people intervened yesterday Thursday, 20th February to the European Parliament.

The Conference is the final event of the project “LeaveCare-LiveLife” – lead by Agevolando association (Italy) with the association Fice Croatia (Croatia), Tiberius (Romania), Care Leavers’ Association (UK), Care leavers Network Ireland (Ireland) – that in the last two years has produced important results.

Maria Chiara Vita Finzi, project manager, and the partners showed them to the institutional audience: the production of formative materials on the active participation of the care leavers, a chance to offer a coaching experience of 30 professionals to Bucharest and 35 care leavers to Zagreb, the birth of the www.careleavernetwork.eu platform that collects stories, good practices, news of European care leavers and the first virtual “Museum” of the care leavers with memories of the experience lived foster care.

To answer to the Recommendations issued by care leavers: Ewa Kopacz, European Parliament Coordinator on children’s rights, Zuzana Konradova, coordinator of the Eurochild’s Thematic group Children in Alternative Care; Teresa Bertotti, president of European Association of Schools of Social Work; Emanuela Rossini, italian MP, European political Committee; Margherita Leone, Sos Children Village International, Pierfrancesco Majorino, Pina Picierno, Elisabetta Gualmini (who hosted the conference), Dragos Pislaru, all Members of the European Parliament.

The event is dedicated to the memory of Shane Griffin, irish care leaver recently passed away, who spent his whole life to promote the rights of the young people like him.

Maria Chiara Vita Finzi has concluded: “Do not speak about care leavers as a disadvantaged group. They are not! They are change-makers, they are strong and they are resilient”.