SOS Youth Facilities

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We are living in fast-moving times. Speed has become the main factor in life around the world. Expectations, requirements, values and attitudes seem to be changing as fast as the dictates of fashion. More and more, the very foundations of life are being called into question and the unknown is becoming the new normality. This is the world in which children and youngsters must now grow up, the world that shapes their search for identity, for a place on the labour market and in society in general. SOS Youth House Lipa, Philippines - Photo: P. Wachter The goals of SOS Children's Village youth care work SOS Children's Villages attaches great importance to ensuring that the young people entrusted to its care learn to face up to the social and economic realities of their world and develop their own personal perspectives in life. The overall goal is to accompany young people on their road to becoming self-reliant adults: to help them develop a positive approach to life, integrate into society and be able to provide for themselves. SOS Youth Houses and Youth Communities Young people often move out of the village and into a youth facility when they start a vocational training course or go on to higher education. With the support of qualified youth workers, the young people develop realistic perspectives for their future, learn to shoulder responsibility and increasingly make their own decisions. They are encouraged to develop team spirit and build up contacts with relatives and friends, as well as with the relevant authorities and potential employers. Youth houses provide a home for several groups of youngsters aged fourteen and above. The necessary educational and psychological support is also available. Some youth houses are larger and take in youngsters from more than one SOS Children's Village. In order to ensure the successful guidance of the young people towards independence, SOS Children's Villages is increasingly moving away from institutional forms of care - such as SOS Youth Houses, for example. The basic principle is the concept of family-oriented care, which is why the present guidelines talk exclusively about "SOS Youth Communities" (or "semi-independent housing programme"). Youth communities are designed to accommodate a maximum of 14 young people plus one live-in counsellor. The young people themselves are responsible for organising their everyday lives. Young People at SOS Youth Facility Osijek, Croatia - Photo: K. Ilievska Help with Housing The big move from the shelter of the family nest to the world of independence and responsibility is a big step for any young person. One of the first problems is often finding somewhere to live, quite apart from the fact that a home costs money and needs to be looked after. Without a regular income such a move is unthinkable. In order to cater for the needs of these young adults, SOS Children's Villages has therefore developed its semi-independent housing programme. This enables young adults to choose and furnish their own home. Integration into the labour market Good qualifications are no longer a guarantee when it comes to finding a job. Nevertheless, they do greatly improve the youngsters' chances of success on the employment market. For that reason great importance is attached to supporting the youngsters in their choice of vocational training programme, especially during their time in the SOS Youth Community. A systematic programme of support is designed to ensure that adequate careers counselling is given. Contacts with business partners are also carefully developed, maintained and exploited. A thorough search is conducted for other employment opportunities. Support for young men and women from SOS Children's Villages goes even further in the framework of the SOS head-start scheme. This reflects the general desire at SOS Children's Villages to provide material and immaterial assistance to young adults. The head-start scheme provides soft loans with low interest rates and flexible repayment schedules to young men and women who want to set up their own small businesses. To be on the safe side In difficult cases SOS Children's Villages also offers follow-up support. This is a further measure that SOS Children's Villages sees as its duty towards its young adults. In this follow-up period, youngsters are given additional support in the process of achieving full independence from the village, in managing crisis situations and solving ad hoc organisational or financial problems. The level of assistance provided depends on individual requirements.