ESC: Helping youth with Mic-ados – Marche-en-Famenne

Mic-Ados is a service for the youth recognized as an A.M.O. by the Brussels-Wallonia Federation. A.M.O. stands for « Aide en Milieu Ouvert » - it refers to a prevention service with an open scope of intervention, meaning it can be active on the streets or anywhere else. AIMS As AMO, the main mission of the association is thus to realize social and educative prevention action, to the benefit of young people – that is, to help them – in their living environment and in their relations with their social environment (their school, family, …), without an administrative or judiciary mandate. The action of the association comes within the scope of the decree of the Brussels-Wallonia Federation regarding youth social services (« Décret du 18 janvier 2018 portant le Code de la prévention, de l’aide à la jeunesse et de la protection de la jeunesse »). Mic-ados’ objectives are : ensuring equal opportunities, creating bonds, as well as the fulfilment of the young person, and prevention. TARGET GROUPS We work with children and youngsters from 0 to 22 years old, and with their families. We give a particular attention and the priority to the most vulnerable ones. Our action area covers 8 rural (or semi-rural) municipalities in the north of the province of Luxemburg (Marche-en-Famenne, Durbuy, Rendeux, Erezée, Nassogne, Tenneville, Hotton and La Roche). REGULAR ACTIVITIES We carry out two kinds of action : 1) Individual support to the youngsters and their families regarding different difficulties they encounter. At the request of a young person, we provide him/her assistance with concerns regarding his/her family, school or with relational, emotional or administrative issues. We put the young person at the center of the situation and insist on the capacities and solutions he/she carries in himself/herself. The help can involve listening him/her regarding the questions he/she has, but also guidance in taking steps towards other services. We are also available for the parents who have doubts, who feel overwhelmed, who need help. Together with them, we think about how to improve their everyday life, without bringing any judgement. 2) The collective projets. Our collective projects are diverse and try to reach our whole target-group. Examples are : psychomotricity workshop, adventure sport, holidays camps, parents workshops, the « Sac ados » project (for dropout teenagers), our autonomy project, cooking workshops, … Those projects aim at creating networks of young people in the region, developing their sense of initiative, citizenship, solidarity, and the learning of the life in community. Participation to our projects is transitional. The objective is that the young person finds his/her place in other existing structures. Projects can also be implemented at the request of young people, parents, social workers. The « Sac ados » project : This project is aimed at young people from 15 to 22 y.o. who do not find their place in the educational system, drop-out or encounter difficulties in setting up a personal and professional project. Its goal is to reconcile them with the education or training system but, first and foremost, to offer them a place where they can take stock, take back self-confidence and build their future. The youngsters take part to different little voluntary works, where they can discover new skills, new jobs. They are also led to debate society topics that concern them and to go to meet different institutions. The goal is that they better understand society issues, but also to develop their critical mind. Autonomy project : This project targets young people from 16 to 22 y.o. who want to gain more independence, and need and wish for a support therefore. First, we help and support the young person in his/her reflection about independence. Then we assist him/her in looking after an accommodation through different existing services, but also to access his/her rights (according to his/her situation). Once the youngster has an accommodation, we lead him/her, step by step, towards autonomy, through a daily support in taking care of his/her accommodation, with administrative issues, and in building his/her individual project.