The project will strengthen capacities of SOS Children’s Villages Latvia ensuring a regular, long-term participation policy and decision-making processes in the field of alternative child care.
The project will focus on human safety of young people after the alternative child care, advocacy of young people after the alternative child care, monitoring of public administration, participation in policy-making and decision-making processes.
During the project a governance and participatory model of NGOs will be developed and a new network on national level, participation of NGOs and citizens' in decision-making processes wil be promoted involving new member and volunteers, as well as additional funding source for the activities of SOS Children’s Villages Latvia will be raised.

Project results: The aim of the Project was to strengthen the institutional and human capacities of SOS Children’s Villages Latvia for democracy, participatory democracy, good governance and transparency by developing a new cooperation network at national level and measures for promoting non-governmental organizations and residents participation in decision making. The project target group were 6 NGOs, 26 NGO members, 150 young people being in out-of-family care, 130 specialists, politicians of 12 municipalities, 55 state and local government employees.
The following was achieved:
- A study on the situation in alternative child care has been carried out. The project study will result in possibility of planning and developing services based on fully reliable analysis of the situation.
- Employees acquired Norway’s experience in alternative care.
- A governance and participatory model has been developed. It promotes human safety of young people after the alternative child care.
- Meetings have been held with 28 local authorities and a training seminar for 40 specialists with the aim of informing about needs of young people after alternative child care and required services. As a result, 187 persons responsible for the organization and delivery of services have received information about required services and needs of the target group.
- 1 focus group of young people and 5 meetings in young people homes have been held and resulted in promotion of 66 young people resilience and participation in decision making processes. Young people living in youth houses received information about practical problems of starting an independent live and required resources.
- Booklets containing information for young people have been published.
- 4 residents have become members of SOS Children’s Villages Latvia.
- 4 NGOs have signed the letter of intention to cooperate within the Latvian Youth Resilience Alliance. Latvian Youth Resilience Alliance has started developing a website www.patstavigadzive.lv, where all NGOs are able to post all current information.
A project partner was “SOS Children’s Villages Norway” and this organization contributed in the following way:
1) Consulted on the development of governance and participatory model.
2) Provided for the fact-finding trip to Norway.
3) Participated in a closing seminar. A project partner’s expert gave a presentation in the closing seminar on Norway’s experience in young people care. Consequently, more than 40 specialists acquired Norway’s experience in young people care.