The Center for Social Policy, with support from NALED, conducted the Analysis of the Status of Youth at Risk including recommendations for improving their social and economic inclusion. The analysis was prepared under the project Strong Youth – Social Inclusion and Economic Sustainability of Youth at Risk, implemented by NALED with the Foundation SOS – Children’s Village Serbia, in partnership with the German Hermann Gmeiner Foundation. The project aims at improving the employability of disadvantaged youth, supporting professional development of youth necessary for independent living and stimulating their engagement in civil society.

The main objective of the project is sustainable advancement of the social and economic status of disadvantaged youth aged 16 to 30 from Belgrade. The Analysis primarily relates to youth leaving foster families and residential care from the territory of the City of Belgrade, as well as young Roma living in substandard settlements in Zemun.

The group of youth leaving social protection includes youth leaving family accommodation and residential care for children and youth upon completion of regular education. These are youth for whom residential care or family protection has been discontinued in cases of independent living or reaching of the age limit for the expiry of foster family care or residential care, i.e. 26 years of age.

The analysis contains a review of existing support measures within the employment and social protection system intended for youth leaving the social protection system, as well as young Roma persons. Additionally, the Analysis covers a review of challenges in implementing the support measures, frameworks for monitoring the status of youth upon leaving protection, an analysis of factors affecting sustainable socio-economic inclusion and proposals for measures to improve the status of such youth.