One in four young people who have left foster care are studying and working at the same time.

BarcelonaSitting on a bench facing Barcelona's Sagrada Familia, Youssef Benkhay recounts his life story, from leaving Aitaddou Zaguura at age 16 to now, at 24, about to complete a vocational training course in electrical, gas, and plumbing installation and working at the Foundation's social enterprise. "Learning the language, going back to school, finding myself in a place so different from my village of 20 houses in the Sahara, being far from home," the young man explains when asked about the difficulties he has faced to finally have a more or less stable future.

Benkhay's story is the story of more than 90% of young people formerly under the guardianship of the Generalitat (nationals and foreigners) only like him) who, often without a family network, study and work or combine both activities. A FEPA surveyThe federation of entities for youth emancipation breaks with the stereotype and emphasizes that the bulk of this group has doubled. yes-yesrising from 10.9% in 2014 to 23.1% in 2024. For FEPA's president, Jordi Sàlvia, the data demonstrates that young people leaving foster care (regardless of their origin) "take advantage of opportunities when they have support" to prosper socially.

As a child, Benkhay already had in mind the idea of following in the footsteps of his brothers and cousins who had made the leap to Europe because in Morocco "there are fewer opportunities." The youngest of eleven siblings, he convinced his mother to let him go and, accompanied by his father, boarded a bus heading north, towards the coast. It was the first time he had left his village, where he helped tend the family's flock of goats after dropping out of the equivalent of the fourth year of secondary school. After a month in Tangier waiting for a break in the weather, he set sail in a small boat with four other crew members and, when the time came, he says he was overcome by a double feeling of "Fear and excitement" about being made at sea"Those who have emigrated always tell good things, like how easy it is to work or study, how they can buy things... And that makes you want to come even more," he says in perfect Catalan, learned at school in Sabadell, although he laments that people often speak to him in Spanish.

From Algeciras, he was sent to Barcelona, ​​where, after age verification tests confirmed he was a minor, the Generalitat (Catalan government) took custody and he entered the child protection system. For two years, he lived in several centers, where he says there is "tough coexistence" due to the difficult backgrounds of the young people who live there. He eventually moved to a supervised apartment with three other young people as part of the Generalitat's program to help young people achieve emancipation up to the age of 23. This program is for those who follow an individual plan to study or work and maintain good behavior, Sàlvia explains.

Economic fragility

These early years of youth haven't been easy, says the young man, who has considered returning home on occasion. Salvia indicates that the support and guidance these young people receive play a crucial role, and they must quickly "develop the attitudes that will allow them to support themselves." He adds that the "personal determination and aspirations" of each former ward are also essential, highlighting the significant economic vulnerability of this group, since without any help or family support network they must generate income to cover their education, rent, and basic needs.

In Benkhay's case, his motivation is "to have a better future" than he would have had if he had stayed in his village. For now, he confesses to feeling satisfied, although he encountered bureaucratic hurdles along the way. reformed immigration regulations that prevented him from renewing his permit He had been living in foster care for a year without a job offer, working full-time. The small plumbing company where he had done his internship couldn't offer him a contract with these characteristics, but luckily Eveho did offer him a job. Between work and studies, he has to find time to renovate the apartment he shares with his cousin (also an unaccompanied minor). "The landlord gave us a discount in exchange for us taking care of it," he says.

The FEPA survey indicates that 21% of former foster children work full-time, 46% study, and only 9.9% are neither studying nor working. For Salvia, the child protection system fails young people by providing uniform solutions without taking diversity into account. The survey advocates for extending the duration of benefits and diversifying the resources and services aimed at facilitating their emancipation.