Support for youth without parental should not cease following their exit from the Public Institution Children’s Home “Mladost” in Bijela. On the contrary, this is exactly the moment when genuine, accountable, and methodical initiatives for their inclusion and empowerment must commence.
Young people leaving residential care institutions or non-kinship foster care are left without comprehensive, individualized systemic support during their transition to independent living and in coping with the challenges of adult life. They often face difficulties ranging from the lack of basic living conditions and essential life skills to limited awareness of their rights and responsibilities. At the age of 18, they are simply not prepared to face life's challenges, particularly those who have developmental difficulties and disabilities, many of which are associated with the effects of institutional care experienced by a large number of children.
To address this issue, the Union of Municipalities of Montenegro has secured psychological and mentoring support for six young people who are leaving the Children's Home this year, as well as housing assistance for one of them. These and a range of other measures are included in the programme "Social and Economic Inclusion of Children and Young People without Parental Care – Connecting with Local Communities in Montenegro," which has recently begun implementation. The challenge is that the Union's funding, amounting to approximately EUR 20,000 and secured through donations, is insufficient, as it covers only the beneficiaries' basic needs for a few months, making the programme unsustainable in the long term. The fundraising campaign remains open, and all socially responsible individuals, companies, and organizations are invited to support this initiative by making donations to the Union's dedicated bank account: 530-533471-03.
To assess the needs and capacities of young people preparing to leave the Children's Home, the Union's programme engaged a clinical psychologist in March this year to conduct individual assessments of their personality, work capacity, and readiness for independent living. The psychologist's assessment found that placement in residential care, combined with the deprivation of parental love and care, has left lasting effects on their emotional, cognitive, and social development. Many of these young people experience insecurity and fear, have low self-esteem, lack a sense of belonging, and possess limited social and other essential life skills. In most cases, they are qualified only for unskilled jobs. As a result, they face a significantly higher risk of social exclusion, unemployment, poverty, and mental health problems.
Although the Law on Social and Child Protection provides for the right to supported housing, this entitlement has not been further regulated or operationalized, nor have the mechanisms for its provision or the necessary budgetary resources been established. As a result, it has remained a right that exists only on paper. Moreover, it applies exclusively to persons with disabilities.
For this purpose, several municipalities have allocated one or two apartments and made them available to Centres for Social Work. However, these housing units are used only sporadically. According to the Centre for Social Work in Herceg Novi, the apartment allocated by the municipality is currently used to accommodate victims of domestic violence, leaving young people transitioning from the Children's Home without access to supported housing and largely left to cope on their own.
The monthly financial assistance of approximately EUR 170 is the only form of support provided by the state, and it is available only until the age of 23. This amount is insufficient to cover even basic living expenses. In addition to adequate housing and financial support for everyday living, these young people need sustained and comprehensive psychological and mentoring support to successfully transition to independent adulthood.
Under the Union of Municipalities' programme, this support will be provided by psychologists engaged through a public call, who also received specialized training earlier this year. Additional assistance will be delivered by volunteers in accordance with the Memorandum of Cooperation between the Union of Municipalities of Montenegro and the Red Cross. The psychologists will hold individual counselling sessions with each young person three times a week and prepare weekly progress reports. Volunteers will provide practical day-to-day support, including assistance with finding accommodation and employment, obtaining personal identification documents, accessing social benefits and subsidies, and developing essential independent living skills such as meal preparation, maintaining personal and household hygiene, managing everyday situations, budgeting, paying bills, and other daily responsibilities.
The implementation of these measures requires a comprehensive and sustained approach, continuity of support, close cooperation, and strong commitment from both central and local authorities. It also depends on the active involvement of civil society organizations, international cooperation, and the effective use of all available donor funding. The rights of young people leaving care must be clearly defined in legislation, with adequate funding guaranteed through the state budget. Achieving this will require time as well as strong political commitment. On average, only around eight young people leave the Children's Home each year. For the state, the cost of providing comprehensive support to such a small number of beneficiaries is negligible. Yet these young people represent one of the most vulnerable and least visible social groups in the country. To date, the support available to them has been limited to occasional, time-bound projects implemented by civil society organizations, rather than a sustainable, state-led system of care.
The Union of Municipalities of Montenegro aims, in cooperation with the competent institutions, to establish a sustainable support system for this target group, building on the existing legal framework at both the national and local levels, the country's strategic policy commitments, and European standards in the field of social and child protection.
