{"id":54236,"date":"2018-07-09T11:47:06","date_gmt":"2018-07-09T09:47:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cesie.org\/news\/integra-supporting-unaccompanied-minors-transition-to-adulthood\/"},"modified":"2025-05-06T11:11:55","modified_gmt":"2025-05-06T09:11:55","slug":"integra-supporting-unaccompanied-minors-transition-to-adulthood","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cesie.org\/en\/justice\/integra-supporting-unaccompanied-minors-transition-to-adulthood\/","title":{"rendered":"INTEGRA supporting unaccompanied minors\u2019 transition to adulthood"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Have you ever wondered what happens to unaccompanied minors when they reach the age of majority?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Children under the age of 18 who are separated from their parents or guardians are defined as separated children and\/or \u201cunaccompanied minors<\/strong>\u201d. The presence of unaccompanied foreign minors in Italy has been constantly growing over the last years. At the beginning of 2018, the number of unaccompanied minors only in Sicily was 5503, 81% of them were 16-17 years old. The State and its institutions provide care, protection, and assistance to young people up to the age of 18. But what happens after? What do care-leavers do when they turn 18 years old?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For every young person turning 18 it is a crucial life transition. The success of the transition to adulthood<\/strong> highly depends on the connection and supportive guidance of an adult figure. Young person\u2019s emancipation involves personal growth and change of social role, but if the young adult is left unsupported the challenges are many. Young people under residential care often have to cope with non-child-friendly structures, where the guardian can be an abstract figure difficult to reach, not always capable to gradually mediate the transition into adulthood. In such circumstances, care-leavers need extensive support, they need someone to refer to, someone who is equipped with knowledge and skills and can guide young person through the transition period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Considering the needs of care-leavers and of professionals working with them, INTEGRA project<\/strong><\/a> has been designed to address the need to equip residential care professionals<\/strong> to successfully support the social and professional integration of unaccompanied minors who are leaving care-systems.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

INTEGRA partners<\/strong> met in Nicosia, Cyprus on 18-19 June 2018 for the first project meeting<\/strong> to get to know each other, plan in detail all activities and share their commitment to contribute to the empowerment and social integration of care-leavers.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

During 2 years of the INTEGRA project we will:<\/p>\n\n\n\n