Care Leaver First Stakeholder Meeting Austria

On 24 September 2025, the partners from Austria, ÖJAB and ipcenter, hosted the first national meeting of the Care Leaver Cooperation Network as part of the Skills4Life project. Held in a hybrid format at the BPI der ÖJAB in Vienna and online, the meeting brought together 14 key players in the field of youth care and care leavers from across Austria — including NGOs, education providers, and social workers.

The event provided a valuable space for exchange and collaboration among organisations such as AFIDO, Diakonie de la Tour, Jugend am Werk, Volkshilfe Wien, and the Austrian Child Protection Association, etc. Participants shared insights into their diverse approaches — from mentoring and psychosocial counselling to youth housing and advocacy work — and reflected on the shared challenges and strengths of care leavers, described as resilient survival artists who continue to face structural barriers.

Discussions highlighted the need for early preparation before leaving care and extended aftercare support up to age 24, aligning with European good practice. Networking emerged as one of the day’s greatest achievements — for many, it was the first opportunity to connect across regions and discover synergies for future cooperation.

Together, participants agreed on several follow-up actions: expanding the Austrian network, contributing practitioner input to the Skills4Life training programme, advocating for policy improvements, and participating in upcoming international exchanges within the Danube-region partnership.

This first meeting marks an important step towards a strong, collaborative national network that empowers care leavers and strengthens their support structures across Austria.