Strengthening Guardianship and Legal Support for Unaccompanied Children in Europe

My Coming of Age Story (CO.A.ST) is co-funded by the European Union and carried out by a consortium of organizations in six EU countries and led by CIR – Consiglio Italiano per i Rifugiati (Italy), in partnership with KIND, Alliance des Avocats pour les Droits de l’Homme, ELIL – European Lawyers in Lesvos , and PIC (Legal center for the protection of human rights and the environment). Designed to strengthen legal and psychosocial support for unaccompanied children as they transition to adulthood. CO.A.ST builds the capacity of guardians through targeted training, practical resources, and cross-border knowledge exchange. The goals of the project are: to improve the training and qualifications of guardians, to develop concrete solutions to support guardians in the daily performance of their role, and stimulate the exchange of good practices and promote the sharing of knowledge among guardians.

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Stories (CO.A.ST in Practice)

November 25, 2025

Growing Up in Europe: Ahmed’s Story in Italy

KIND is proud to be part of the collaborative EU project, My Coming of Age Story (CO.A.ST) that aims to empower guardians as they support unaccompanied children transitioning to adulthood. The proje...

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December 19, 2025
Extreme wide shot overhead of young male friends playing soccer on the cobblestone streets of Essaouira

Growing Up in Europe: James’s Story in Greece

James is a young man from Egypt who arrived in Greece alone as a child. His story is part of My Coming of Age Story (CO.A.ST), a European project focused on supporting unaccompanied children as they t...

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January 15, 2026
Rear view of a casual young man cooking healthy food alone at home

Growing in Europe: Amir's Story in Poland

Amir’s journey from an unaccompanied child to a young adult in Poland shows how essential guardianship is during the transition to adulthood. His story is part of My Coming of Age Story (CO.A.ST), a...

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November 20, 2025

My Coming of Age Story: Insights from VOICIFY on Strengthening Participation and Protection for Unaccompanied Children on their Journey to Adulthood

The World Day for Prevention of Child Abuse is a reminder that protecting children requires long-term, coordinated action. Nearly two years into Project Suzir’ya, KIND and partners across Ukraine an...

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January 21, 2026
A large group of young teens sit in the grass during a break time, with their cell phones in hand, as they catch up on social media. They are each dressed casually and focused on their individual screens.

The Critical Role of Guardians in Guiding Unaccompanied and Separated Children into Adulthood: Insights from the European Guardianship Network

As unaccompanied and separated children in Europe approach adulthood, guardians play a vital role in protecting their rights, stability, and wellbeing. Through insights from the European Guardianship ...

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March 19, 2026
UK, London, boy learning from home with tutor or mother in the study

Growing Up in Europe: The Story of a Legal Guardian Supporting Unaccompanied Children in Slovenia

This story from the CO.A.ST project highlights the vital role of legal guardians in supporting unaccompanied refugee children in Slovenia. Through Patricia’s experience, it explores how guardians pr...

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March 3, 2026

Growing up in Europe: The Story of a Guardian

As part of the CO.A.ST – My Coming of Age Story project, this article explores the French guardianship system for unaccompanied children and youth through the experience of Éric, a volunteer admini...

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Featured Resources

Feature Resource

Recommendations for Supporting Guardians Assisting Unaccompanied and Separated Children in the Transition to Adulthood

A new policy brief from the CO.A.ST – My Coming of Age Story project highlights the urgent need to strengthen guardianship systems for unaccompanied and separated children across Europe. Drawing on research in six countries, the brief outlines recommendations to ensure guardians are properly trained, resourced, and supported so that young people can safely transition […]

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Feature Resource

Practical Toolkit for Guardians: Supporting Children Transitioning to Adulthood

This Practical Toolkit was created as part of the My Coming of Age Story project (CO.A.ST). My Coming of Age Story is a two-year project cofunded by the European Union, through the 2021- 2027 Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF). This project was implemented by five partners: the Italian Council for Refugees (Italy), who led […]

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Feature Resource

Inspiring Practices: CO.A.ST - My Coming of Age Story

This brief from the CO.A.ST – My Coming of Age Story project highlights innovative practices across Europe that strengthen guardianship and protection systems for unaccompanied children. Drawing on experiences in France, Italy, Greece, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia, it identifies approaches such as child-centered participation, peer support networks for guardians, interdisciplinary cooperation, and structured aftercare that […]

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Conference - My Coming of Age Story

The project partners are proud to have organized a final conference for its project “My Coming-of-Age Story” (CO.A.ST) which took place in Brussels on March 5th and showcased our collaborative work on unaccompanied and separated children as they transition to adulthood.

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Related Resources

May 28, 2026

CO.A.ST Training Resources

This training package brings together materials developed through the CO.A.ST project to support guardians and other actors working with unaccompanied children as they transition to adulthood. It incl...

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April 3, 2025

Guardianship of Unaccompanied Foreign Minors in Six European Countries

This fact sheet provides an in-depth look at how six European countries—France, Greece, Poland, Slovenia, Italy, and Slovakia—protect unaccompanied foreign minors through voluntary guardianship sy...

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June 18, 2025

My Coming of Age Story (CO.A.ST)

My Coming of Age Story (CO.A.ST) is a two-year, EU co-funded project focused on enhancing guardianship for unaccompanied children transitioning to adulthood. Led by the Italian Council for Refugees (C...

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August 19, 2025

The Coming of Age of Unaccompanied Foreign Minors in Six European Countries

The transition to adulthood represents a crucial moment in the lives of unaccompanied children, often marked by uncertainty and vulnerability. The forms of protection guaranteed during childhood eithe...

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My Coming-of-Age Story is co-funded by the European Union, through the 2021-2027 Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) – Project 101141181 CO.A.ST-Amif 2023-TF2-AG-Call CO.A.ST – My Coming of Age Story.

 

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only. and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

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