Young people, who leave the social protection system at the age of 18 – from children’s homes and foster families, are left to fend for themselves and need great support and assistance until they become independent. Providing support to young people, the “Zvezda” Centre has developed its practice and achieved results that show us some of the possible ways to further develop our social services, said the Commissioner for Protection of Equality Brankica Janković, who visited the Centre premises in Belgrade.

I believe that the authorities will recognize the importance of the Centre, and support its work, since it is still a pilot program, which is financed from donations, projects, and recently by selling products that the Centre makes itself, said the Commissioner. Achieving independence of young people who were in the social protection system must be understood as a process if, at the end of the road, we want to have a young, responsible, and independent person who will successfully join the society and their local community, said Janković in a conversation with the director and the founder of the Centre, Tatjana Dražilović.

The “Zvezda” Centre has been offering assistance to young people in Belgrade, Niš and Kragujevac for several years and provides them with accommodation, meals, language classes, various trainings and workshops, as well as assistance with finding a job, until they become independent.