A complete protective framework for children who grow up in child protection institutions, without having the prospect of adoption or foster care, is being created for the first time in Greece, according to the Ministry of Social Cohesion and Family, through the Semi-Independent Living program.
It concerns children and young people aged 15 and over who either live in institutions or are temporarily accommodated, for reasons of protection, in a hospital. By the end of 2025, as the ministry estimates, at least 200 children and young people, possibly up to the age of 26, will have joined the Semi-Independence Living apartments.
In statements, on the occasion of the Semi-Independence Living program, the Minister of Social Cohesion and Family, Sofia Zaharaki, said “Until today, there was no comprehensive care for the future of children who lived in institutions and after reaching adulthood, found themselves overnight on the street without any support or means. These children were invisible to the welfare state and this is what we are coming to correct with the program financed by resources from the Recovery Fund. We don’t just put the children in some apartments, thinking that this is how we as a State do our duty. We will provide all the necessary supplies to achieve their gradual and smooth independence. Social workers, psychologists and teachers assume their individualised care and support, while we also wanted to ensure relative financial independence by providing the financial aid of 375 euros, an amount corresponding to the minimum guaranteed income. Every child leaving institutions is a great victory for our society”.
SOURCE; ANA-MPA
