The Romanian Ministry of Labor will launch in early-2017 a new program aimed at helping the young people aged over 18 who leave the institutionalised system.

Under this new program, called “First Room,” the young people who leave the orphanages will get support to develop the skills needed to live independently, labor minister Dragos Pislaru announced on Monday, reports local News.ro.

Through this program, the state will cover their costs with rent and utilities for two years. Moreover, the young people will also be integrated into the dual vocational education system.

The project also includes counselling and assistance to prevent the possible abuses these young people could face at the workplace, such as unpaid work or overtime.

At 18, the young people have to leave the orphanages. According to the minister, this project will represent a solution for them because, although the state takes care of children up to the age of 18, after that they are left “in an area with no support, being unprepared for what society and life mean.”

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Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com