ROOTS RESEARCH CENTER

Our goal is to empower and support young people, care leavers, who exit from institutional care and have no or any family environment. The supervised house will teach them transition skills in order to strengthen them to live in the community.

This project addresses to young care leavers, who exit institutional care.  Young people leaving state care are highly vulnerable to falling victims to poverty, crime, prostitution, abuse or trafficking. When this happens the consequences are often devastating for the individuals and
have a far reaching and damaging impact on the wider community. Their education is less than expected and has no working skills

The project has a duration of two years with some time ahead in order to provide information to the care leavers before their entrance to the house. 

The program, supervised housing, aims to transform the lives of vulnerable young people, particularly those who have grown up in state and who have no-where to go when they have to leave. The program provides care leavers with up to two years of life skills training, employment opportunities and accommodation in a family-style, small group home. Qualified professionals have experience and knowledge of how to support the set up and running of a residential training program, how to equip vulnerable young people with the tools they need to live successful, independent lives. 

Our organization will cooperate with Public and Local authorities, but in particular with FSCI Foundation of Social Inclusion, who are the founders of the program with lots of success in other Balkan countries. 

Professionals who will cooperate to this project are a social worker, psychologist, educators and others who might be needed for the training of the young care leaversi.

The implementation of the project is the city of Athens, first of all where the organization is based and  because there are many young care leavers exiting institutional care from local institutions. 

The program has a very significant impact on the lives of its participants. For some of them this is a new beginning. Their lives are turned around completely. Τhey lived in institutions or dysfunctional families faced with violence, poverty, hopelessness without support of an adult who would show them the right path and prepare them for the real world and an independent life. After being in the House for a while they start feeling safe, accepted and loved. They have a place where they belong; they are free to make mistakes and still experience that they are accepted

The benefits of this program are excellent in the countries that this program is operating and we are sure that this will happen to our project as well. The practice will give good evidence, and we hope that this project will grow and continue.