CREATING FUTURES: RESIDENTIAL CARE HOMES IN HUNGARY AND SWITZERLAND COLLABORATIVELY DEVELOP THEIR CAPACITY TO EMPOWER CHILDREN AND YOUTH TO ACTIVELY REALISE THEIR OWN FUTURES

Abstract

Child and youth homes in Hungary and Switzerland want to increase the chances that the approximately 1,000 children and youth in their care will transition well from residential care to other settings, will be fully included in society, and will live lives that they have reason to value. Key to this objective is the empowerment of the children and youth to take their development into their own hands, to develop ideas of a possible future, and to pursue these ideas actively and sustainably. In the project “Creating Futures”, these homes plan to collect knowledge from children, youth, staff, and managers, as well as from the literature; to develop a framework of analysis to identify current good practices, and potentials for further development; and to implement a concrete pilot project in each home. Evaluations of the learning and development process and dissemination of publications complete the project. Throughout, there will be a strong focus on the voice of children and youth. Collaborating as a community of practice and within the context of expert network FICE International, the homes will make use of their diversity for stimulating learning and development on the individual, professional, and organisational levels. This paper describes the emergence and design of the planned project.