There are over 6000 young children in foster care in Portugal. Many of these young children are in residential homes; however, when young children don’t have the appropriate care, they might be neglected, and experience physical or sexual abuse. Paje is the only association in Portugal dedicated to supporting young children in dedicated foster houses. .
History
Paje is a non-profit association, that has been founded in 2016 and supports young children and youth in foster care. The organization works as a safety network that does not always exist. To date, Paje has supported 352 former foster youth. Further, their track record shows that they have interventions with more than 1000 children and young people in care
Paje
PAJE’s main objective is to promote successful intervention, positive transitions and social inclusion. The association aims to improve the exit profile of young people, develop their anatomical knowledge, provide training for caregivers, raise awareness in schools and society. To achieve that, it is of core value that the work is personalized according to the needs and challenges of each youngster, as well as community sensibilization to build social consciousness and support networks
Think Human Foundation & Paje
Think Human Foundation and Paje have joined forces in Portugal. The project is based on two pillars: the renovation of three homes in Braga, Lisbon and Aveiro to make them comfortable and similar to a family home. They will each accommodate 30 professionals and 30 young children per year. The second pillar concerns technical skills and professional training.
When a young adult reaches the age of 18, social assistance usually stops. With this project, young adults will be supported until they become financially independent. This will facilitate their social inclusion, thanks to the strong psychological support and volunteerism of our game-changers.