Εκμετάλλευση - Εμπορία Ανθρώπων - Human Exploitation/Trafficking Let-Children-be-Children_Case-studies-refugee-prog | Page 41

GERMANY unaccompanied children in the areas they serve. However, the national guardianship system is overwhelmed: the challenges associated with delays in the appointment of guardians are compounded by the fact that the staff of youth welfare offices are unable to adequately carry out their tasks due to a heavy workload and insufficient training and support 7 . THE PRACTICE The project sets out to offer adequate care and protection to unaccompanied children, while providing support as each child grows up. It seeks to equip young people with the right set of skills to live independently and to integrate socially. It targets unaccompanied young people between the ages of 16 and 18, providing them with support and assistance up to the age of 21, where necessary. All the young people enrolled in the programme have submitted an applica- tion for international protection and either hold a short-term, tolerated residence permit until the age of 18 or have been granted refugee status or subsidiary protection. The project is in place in the cities of Düsseldorf and Essen. In Düsseldorf, the unaccompanied young people live together in two or three bed- room apartments in the city. Socio-pedagogical experts of SOS Children’s Villages meet with them regularly to provide support. There is as well a 24/7 on-call duty performed by the socio-pedagogical experts. In Essen, the young people live together in two bedroom apartments across two buildings in one street. The office of the socio-pedagogical experts who are available 24/7 to support the young people is located in one of the buildings. There are currently 42 young men who are supported to live inde- pendently in Düsseldorf and Essen. Both cities have developed a comprehensive care frame- work to assist with the integration of unaccom- panied children. In both locations the project 7_ works closely with the local youth welfare office, education authorities, health officers, youth migration services and healthcare providers. The project is funded by state youth welfare authorities and institutional donors. The main goal is to create a functioning support network which helps unaccompanied young people to achieve independence and fully integrate into German society. I am currently a fighter. I fight for life. […] I had nothing when I came to Germany. I had to learn to grow up quickly, I could no longer be a child. I have been an adult since I turned 15. […] Family and social relationships are very important. This is why I want to and have to care for my younger brother. Sometimes people say that I should live my own life and he as well, but I can’t. He is my family. 19-year-old boy from Syria, former unaccompanied child An individual care plan is developed in consul- tation with each young person, his or her legal guardian and his or her case manager at the youth welfare office. The individual care plan details the appropriate measures and activities that will be taken to support the young person, “Country Report: Germany”, Asylum Information Database (AIDA), last modified 13 April 2017, http://www.asylumineurope.org/reports/country/germany. 41