Authorities’ agenda must include problems of graduates of boarding schools

The problems of graduates of boarding schools must be included on the central and local public authorities’ agenda or priorities. This category of beneficiaries must be included among the goals of the 2013-2020 Strategy for protection of child and family. The recommendations were made by the Association “Amici dei Bambini Moldova”, Info-Prim Neo reports. Director of the Amici dei Bambini branch in Moldova Stela Vasluian told the press that none of the goals of the Strategy concerned the graduates of boarding schools. “We call on the authorities to include on their agenda of priorities this category of beneficiaries. Perhaps it would be necessary and possible for these three goals of the new strategy to reflect the problems and needs of young graduates of boarding schools”. Recently, the association has finished the implementation of the project “Strengthening the capacities of NGOs and local public authorities in Moldova and Ukraine in order to promote the social inclusion of ex-institutionalized youth”, which lasted three years. One of the main successes of the project is that the problems of this category are discusses more frequently. Stela Vasluian said that before 2009 there were few actions oriented towards helping this category. “A few years ago, there was much talk about the problems of institutionalized children, about preventing abandonment of children, efforts were directed towards deinstitutionalization, but unfortunately little attention was paid to the graduates of boarding schools. However, they require more attention because biologically many of them aren’t children anymore, but psychologically are somewhat behind their peers. They aren’t ready for the adult life and find it difficult to integrate in society”. According to the Association “Amici dei Bambini”, the graduates of boarding schools aren’t ready to leave the institutions because they lack some basic life skills. After graduation, they don’t have a place to live and have difficulties in finding a job. Even if they learn a trade, they are aged 16-17 when they have to get a job and there are few employers willing to hire them.