La Vanguardia advanced a devastating figure yesterday. Almost 1,100 children under six years of age live in a residence in Spain, of which half are babies. Of these, 263 are in Catalonia, being the community that tops the list in Spain ahead of Andalusia (172) and Madrid (118), according to data collected by the State Family Care Association (Aseaf) from the Bulletin of the System of Child Protection published by the Ministry of Social Rights. The information recalled that in 2015 the political parties in Spain reached an agreement on child protection that consisted of children under six years of age not growing up in residences, but in families (whether theirs, those of their close friends or strangers). In light of the data, it seems that the pact has not been fulfilled.
As a result of this scenario, the Socialists and United for Progress parliamentary group yesterday registered a request for the appearance in Parliament of the councilor of the sector, Carles Campuzano, and of Josep Maria Forné, director of the Catalan Institute of Fostering and Adoption. Added to this request is the report that the Ombudsman will present to the children's committee of the Catalan Chamber on the 16th, in which the issue is discussed, the data being very similar to those collected by Aseaf.
“The situation is unacceptable,” argues Raúl Moreno, spokesperson for the PSC-Units parliamentary group. He argues that this is an issue that “has been in the political debate in Parliament for a few years” and that already in 2016 “the Government explicitly said that no child under six years of age should be in a shelter.” He regrets that, years later, not only has the number of minors not reduced, but it has increased.
He understands that the problem lies “in the bureaucratic obstacles that the families who want to host encounter.” He affirms that the process is “long and slow” and maintains “that in Catalonia there are families with the will and disposition to host, but that the system does not facilitate it.”
Department sources deny the majority. They argue that “there is a lack of host families” and that is why they started an awareness campaign two months ago. In addition, they remember that they have increased the benefit provided to them.
They do admit that the process is long, but they emphasize the need to “make sure” what the minor's fate will be. They understand that "for the subjective well-being" of children, the "ideal" situation is for them to live with a family, but at the same time they emphasize that in the centers "they are well cared for by specialized professionals." Moreno doesn't see it that way: "The centers are saturated and have professionals who are not trained to meet the needs of these minors."
