3-5 years after having lived at Mælkebøtten

This is the second report by the Danish National Centre for Social Research about vulnerable Greenlandic children who have lived at the boarding facility of Mælkebøtten in Nuuk, a private institution for children and young people. The report presents a follow-up study of 26 children who left Mælkebøtten’s boarding facility 3-5 years ago after having lived there for a period. The objective of the study is to examine how the children’s lives have evolved after leaving the facility. The study examines where the children live now, their schooling and further education, as well as their wellbeing seen both from the view of the children themselves and from the view of their current carers. Overall, this group of children do not fare as well as other children in Greenland. The most prominent challenge is that only few of the children who have completed a school leaving examination have gone on to pursue a further and higher education programme or are working. Most of the children report that they are not currently pursuing an education and that they do not want to get started on an education. Similarly, most of the children also state that they are unemployed and that they are not looking for a job. In addition, five of the young people report that they often get drunk, and another five report smoking cannabis on a daily basis. Greenland is currently working to improve the conditions for children who cannot remain at home with their parents, and this study contributes with knowledge about relevant focus areas.