Fundació SURT has partnered with Dissens, Animus, Children in Scotland, Instituto Degli Innocenti, Verein Für Männer to create Alternative Future. The project´s objective is to reduce rates of physical, sexual, and psychological violence affecting children ages 12-18 who live within Residential Care Facilities (RCFs). These children are part of a highly vulnerable group and tend to have been affected by violence and other forms of abuse prior to entering the RCFs. With few resources through which to seek assistance, the young victims rely heavily on the aid of Child Protection Professionals to intervene in domestic matters and gain children access to any necessary social services. However, a common challenge these professionals face is in approaching violence in a manner that acknowledges gender and its role in the cycle of violence. In addition, professionals also may not be sufficiently trained to approach their work from a child-focused perspective that respects children´s unique rights and liberties.
In response to these obstacles, Alternative Future seeks to provide support services that enable Child Protection Professionals the guidance necessary to successfully provide assistance to children affected by violence. In total, the project is expected to serve approximately 150-210 children within the specific 12-18 age bracket and between 240-450 Child Protection Professionals. With the help of its partner organizations, Alternative Future will be executed within six countries; Spain, Bulgaria, Germany, the UK, Austria, and Italy. The range of organizational capacities and array of situations will contribute to the program´s overarching relevancy in meeting the needs of a highly vulnerable population. While the program will be united in its overall approach and objectives, each partner organization will incorporate their individual competences and contexts into its specific projects and activities, generating greater program dexterity.
During the course of its nearly two year duration, Alternative Future intends to provide children with the social and legal services necessary to seek help as well as recover from their personal traumas. By reinstating each child´s level of personal agency, the project will contribute to the empowerment of children in a way that interrupts current instances of violence against the affected demographic while also working proactively to prevent future offenses through education and training
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