AMIE ESTRELLA

1. AMIE ESTRELLA Reception centre for unaccompaniedminors Centre Miguel Angel Estrella 112 120 Chemin Vert des mèches 94015 CRETEIL

2. AMIE Estrella’s project Starting date: October 2012 Global objective: support unaccompanied minors towards their integration in France and empowerment. Specific objectives: Teenagers undergo an extensive curriculum to be accepted in a professional training centre. Teenagers design a professional project and start a professional training Teenagers build their capacities in the reception centre and in an individual accommodation later on Teenagers acquire their residence permit and enjoy any right foreseen by the civil law.

3. Target group : 20 unaccompanied minors cared by the Child Protection Service, aged from 16 to 18 (+ under specific condition). Human resources : 1 French teacher, 4 case workers, 3 work insertion advisers, 1 legal adviser, 1 secretary, 1 deputy director. Partners : Compass Group, Tours’ , Aude’s and Saint Maur’s apprentice training centers, AFPA of Meudon… • Admission criteria: • Language level • Age : between 16 and 17 years old • Being taken in care by the Child Protection Service • Being eager to set up for a professional training

4. Unaccompanied minors’ profile Spoken language: - Some of them come from a French-speaking country (mainly located in Africa) - Others are not French-native speakers (mostly from Asia) Cursus : - Some of them attended primary school - Others never received primary education To sit for AMIE Estrella’s internal class, you need to : - Know how to read and write in French at Beginner or Intermediate level - Understand spoken French on a minimal level

5. French lessons : timetable and educational content - Monday, Tuesday, Thursday: 9.15 ->11.30 am-1.15 pm->4.15 pm - Friday : 9.15 ->11.30 am-1.15 pm->3 pm Content : - French (grammar, vocabulary, text study, writing) - Mathematics (methods of calculations, geometry...) - History and geography - Prevention Health Environment (hygiene, Food, budget, CV and cover letter, reproductive health…) - Non formal education (philosophy groups, cooking workshops, movie nights, arts, cultural and outdoor activities)

6. Work Insertion Teenager’s pathway towards apprenticeship : • 1st step : designing a professional project • 2nd step : discovering different kinds of works through internships • 3rd step : taking part in collective non formal workshops on professional theme. • 4th step : getting the method to sign for an apprenticeship (design of CV and cover letters, interview role-plays, searching for a job on the internet); In addition, the advisers work to: • Set up partnerships with private enterprise and apprentice training centre • Be a mediator between teenagers and employers and follow up teenager’s training. • Find an individual accommodation for each teenagers • Build up networks with local organizations

7. Empowering unaccompanied minors In individual accomodation: In the reception centre: Social case working Educational counseling Partnership with Child Protection Service Integration • Ensure access to civil law rights, health system, relation with other social services, transports, after class help • teach how to improve their autonomy in an individual accomodation • apply for a contract with Child Protection Service over 18 • link up with local partners • ensure access to rights and to health system • Teach through workshops and individual counseling how to live with other teenagers, solve conflict, deal with hygiene issues and budget issues. • Social reports, individual projects • Outdoor activities

8. Legal advising • Three steps towards residence permit: 1. Get a passport: length of procedure, hardships to get civil status documents for teenagers from isolated places. 2. Obtain a work permit: one year work permit for underage teenagers, four month work permit for teenagers over 18. Passport and apprenticeship contract are requested to apply for a work permit. 3. Apply for residence permit: teenagers apply for these two types of residence permits : « private and family life » and « employee ». Those can be applied one year after their 18th birthday at the latest. Length of procedure : app. 9 months

9. Residence permit « private and family life » : • Being cared by the child protection service at the age of 16. at the latest • Lack of bonds with their country of origins • Seriousness of the training • Social reports of the accommodation centre on the degree of integration Residence permit « employee» : • Being cared by the child protection service between 16 to 18 years old • Sit for a professional training for at least 6 months • Bonds with the country of origins • Seriousness of the training • Social reports of the accommodation centre on the degree of integration

11. AMIE Estrella’s main outcomes • Since 2012 : 28 teenagers sit for an apprenticeship. • In 2015 : 14 teenagers have obtained their degree and 8 entered their second year • Half of the graduate sit for higher degree and the other half got hired by their former employers. • 19 teenagers got a residence permit, 8 teenagers applied for a residence permit, 3 got a receipt. • 8 teenagers live in private accomodation,15 are in young professional accommodation centre, 1 teenager is in a social housing, 10 teenagers are accommodation in the reception centre.

12. Roundtable • How to provide both educational support and enhance their independence ? • How to cope with the lack of certainty in the daily work with unaccompanied minors ? • What are the push factors for teenager’s project ? • How does the parental migration project impact the work of professionals and each teenager’s project? • Roundtable about different residence permits available pan Europe.

13. Thanks for your attention ! Amie Estrella’s team