RIGHTS OF CHILDREN IN SMALL FAMILY-TYPE CHILDREN’S HOMES The monitoring showed that the absolute majority of the children’s homes’ beneficiaries is unaware of their rights under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. We believe it is necessary to raise the beneficiaries’ and the educators’ awareness of children’s rights. PREPARING THE JUVENILES FOR INDEPENDENT LIFE QQ According to the recommendation of the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers, the State must provide children leaving care with an assessment of their needs and appropriate after-care support in accordance with the aim to ensure the re-integration of the child in the family and society. 135 In its concluding observations concerning Georgia, the UN Committee of the Rights of the Child recommended Georgia to introduce measures to ensure and provide follow-up and after-care to young people leaving the care centers.136 In its 2012 Report to the Georgian Parliament, the Public Defender addressed the Minister of Labor, Health and Social Protections with a recommendation to draft an effective programme to support the beneficiaries who are leaving the small family-type children’s homes due to attainment of their majority in starting their independent lives, including by providing them with a residential space and helping them in getting employed. The monitoring has made it clear that Georgia has not implemented appropriate measures in this regard. The children’s homes, unlike the previous years, have been more active in planning the beneficiaries’ future. However, the State must make effective steps in this direction. The service providers (the children’s homes) are trying to give vocational education to the beneficiaries by using own resources and involving various charities. We welcome the fact that some of the children’s homes have managed to find jobs for their beneficiaries and pay for their rent until they become fully independent. However, it would not be a surprise to say that, due to scarce funding, not all beneficiaries have access to such opportunities. The Childcare Standards oblige service provider to prepare children for independent life and help them leave the care center. The Standards require social workers to also be involved in this process. The reality, however, is that the entire burden lies on the provider organizations and their fundraising efforts. Moreover, the provider organizations do not have clearly articulated programmes for preparing their beneficiaries for independent life. There are no specific structures or personnel to implement such programmes. Pursuant to the Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children adopted by the UN General Assembly, clear policies and rules should exist on how to ensure the beneficiaries with appropriate aftercare and follow-up. Young people leaving the care facilities should have access to social, legal and health services together with appropriate financial support.137 THE BENEFICIARIES’ RIGHT TO LEISURE QQ The beneficiaries’ ability to be involved in opportunities (sports and art activities) at their local community level, among other factors, depends on the location of their respective children’s homes and the actually available opportunities. Therefore, in selecting places for stationing children’s homes, especially in the regions, it is important to take into consideration whether the beneficiaries will have access to such opportunities. We noticed this is especially a problem with some of the children’s homes, which will have to be fixe at some point in the future with a view of complying with the established standards. 135 Recommendation No. Rec(2005)5 of the Committee of Ministers to member states on the rights of children living in residential institutions, Basic Principles. 136 The Committee on the Rights of the Child, forty-eighth session, CRC/C/GEO/CO/3, recommendation no. 37. 2013 The monitoring showed that leisure and recreational opportunities for the beneficiaries at small family-type children’s homes vary depending on the service providers’ resources on the one hand and the educators’ involvement on the other hand. It should be noted the right to seasonal rest is ensured to all of the children’s homes’ beneficiaries, as required by the Childcare Standards. 137 Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children, The UN General Assembly, 64/142, Rules 131, 136. NPM Report 69