FARA – Foyer program | Care Leavers Network

At the moment, in Romania, the number of socially marginalized young people coming from social care centers or disorganized families is increasing. The high complexity of life, including the increased demands of employers, regarding school and professional training, increase the risk of this category being excluded socially and economically. Without a stable home, these young people will live on the go, temporarily at different acquaintances or directly on the street. In most cases they do not have identity cards, which makes it difficult for them to access a job. They are easy victims of unscrupulous people who can make use their social backgroud.

Our goal is to ensure the social and-professional integration of the beneficiaries (young people at risk, between the ages of 18 and 27)
We aim to provide shelter at good standards of cleaning and safety for young people accepted into the program
We aim to evaluate the needs of each young person and to facilitate access to the internal and external services of the program, through which to develop independent living skills and confidence in their own forces to start a life on their own.
We aim to encourage young people in the program to strive to improve the quality of their personal lives by offering the best start in life.

Our mission is to provide "Foyer" facilities, in the spirit and standards of the international "Foyer" movement (counseling and support in obtaining and maintaining a job, vocational training and non-formal education, including life skills). , material support and shelter), to disadvantaged young people between the ages of 18 and 27, who were institutionalized in placement centers and / or who are socio-economically disadvantaged, coming from disorganized families or who cannot provide the necessary support. for an independent life.

3 centers located in Satu-Mare, Suceava and Popesti-Leordeni.The entire activity of the FARA Foundation, the Foyer Transit Center Program for young people in difficulty, is based on the policy of equal opportunities for all categories of people, without discrimination of sex, religion, ethnicity or nationality. Our team's framework was built on the training programs supported by experts from Banbury Homes-Foyer, Wisbech Foyer and Newhaven Foyer in the UK.

The main areas of development on which we work are trying to address a wide range of needs that young people already manifest in the selection process, or later in the ongoing evaluations. Priority development areas

Self-management and personal autonomy: cooking, maintaining and cleaning the house, the yard, the garden, used the household appliances (gas cooker, vacuum cleaner, washing machine, ironing machine), use of public transport.
Financial education: budgeting plan, saving, the role of a purchased customer, financial prioritization, loans and loans
Civic education: citizens' rights and obligations, useful public and private institutions
Medical education and health: maintaining health, preventing illness, treating health problems, family planning, healthy lifestyle, proper nutrition, proper personal hygiene
Education and training: qualification and retraining courses, completion of school courses, further education, literacy (where appropriate)
Career education: acquiring and reinforcing the skills and techniques of active job search (press monitoring, appropriate institutions, preparing employment files, proper interview presentation), retaining a job (employee rights and obligations, behavior at work)
Interpersonal relations: civilized and decent behavior in any situation, keeping calm in stressful situations, proper communication depending on the situation
Independence: living with rent, tenant situation, paying bills, managing unforeseen situations.
Anyone within the target group can apply for a place in the Program. Each applicant goes through a selection process, which explains the conditions related to living in the Foyer. The selection is based on the correlation of the individual's need with the services offered within the program and always takes into account the policy of equal opportunities. Once selected, the young man signs a contract with the FARA Foundation, in which the rights and obligations of both parties are stipulated. Each case is assigned a case manager. Together, they will develop a personal development plan for achieving personal goals, such as gaining basic computer operating knowledge or learning self-management skills. Continuous support and training is offered - young people are supported according to their needs. The individual progress of each beneficiary is evaluated periodically by his case manager and should reflect the goals set in the personal development plan, he will also discuss with the young man about his future plans. The case manager will take the necessary steps to ensure that the young man has adequate living conditions in his new home, as well as the skills necessary to live independently, both materially and socially.
The present methodology gives the young man the opportunity to develop his abilities and self-confidence in an assisted way. The close relationship developed with the personal worker provides the young man with a model of adult behavior, as well as a mentor. Research and experience show that without such support it is unlikely that the young people in our target group will reach their potential, as they remain in the highest risk area of social and economic exclusion. In addition, there is a high likelihood that their own children will experience similar difficulties and abandon risk.