Introduction:

We are increasingly emphasizing the well-being and integral development of the child / young person, and all the surrounding legislation is essential in order to guarantee their rights.

Objectives:

To understand how institutionalized young people from an institution in the central part of the country position themselves at the level of the institution, school, prospects for the future and their satisfaction with life.

Methods:

This is a qualitative investigation, using a Questionnaire of Inquiry Instrument and a Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS), which was translated and measured for the Portuguese population by the author Simões (1992 ). The present study had a sample of 11 institutionalized subjects aged between 11 and 22, 5 of whom were female and 6 were male.

Results:

It is concluded that young people consider that the institution works in favor of what they like and, in school terms, they consider it a conducive means for a better future. Regarding the prospects for the future, it was concluded that they have defined their life goals. For satisfaction with life, it was found that more than half of the respondents feel satisfied with their life.

Conclusion:

Young people, in study, value their institution and the school, have prospects for the future related to professional aspects and feel satisfied with life.

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