The 'Poblenou model' to avoid separating children from their families

BarcelonaParents and children draw a moment, a story, or an anecdote that happened at home. They put down on a piece of paper what they think, feel, or don't dare to say out loud; perhaps out of fear, perhaps due to a lack of trust, or insecurity. It's a simple activity, but it has helped dozens of families, in one way or another, to strengthen their bond, weakened by the hardships of economic difficulties or by a migration process that diminishes parenting skills. "Now my children tell me how they feel, and that has helped me a lot," explains Najam Ul Huda. She is one of the mothers who have come to the Poblenou socio-educational center to improve communication with their children within a program that seeks to strengthen mother-child relationships as a tool for preventing the institutionalization of minors—that is, to avoid the administration having to intervene and separate children from their parents by assuming their custody. Ul Huda says that the various activities they have carried out in this program, launched in 2022 jointly by the Pere Tarrés Foundation and the state coordinator of Salesian Social Platforms, with the collaboration of educational professionals, have helped improve the atmosphere within her family, with her children: she says they spend quality time together. Brenda Hernández nods beside her and recalls that before, in her parents' time, everything was very different. "Now, this interest in dealing with emotions makes the bond with the family stronger," she affirms. Cases like those of Ul Huda and Hernández are indicators that a new pedagogical model that involves children and families can contribute to strengthening family relationships and participation in community activities, argues the Pere Tarrés Foundation. The organization emphasizes that a shift in focus towards building bonds between parents and children can reduce the risk of institutionalizing children, a situation to be avoided as much as possible, underlines the Foundation's deputy director, Rafael Ruiz de Gauna. "The goal is for children not to be in institutions, but to be able to live independently with the best possible abilities," he explains. With the aim of minimizing these cases—prioritizing support for families to ensure children can stay and grow up in their family environment—the Som Veu project was launched in 2022, funded by the European Union's Next Generation fund and the Ministry of Social Rights. The initiative aims to develop a model for preventing institutionalization with proposals for psychological and socio-educational support for the entire family. The model was tested with nearly 600 children and young people and a hundred educational professionals from 39 socio-educational centers in nine regions across Spain.

Better grades and school engagement

According to the organizations, the evaluations following the three-year trial period show "very significant" improvements in several areas that directly impact risk factors for children entering residential care. For example, 71% of participating children and families report that arguments at home have decreased thanks to the parenting strategies they learned. Regarding improved academic performance, 20% of the children and young people have gone from a good average to a very good average in their academic records. Furthermore, in terms of family-school communication, the percentage of families attending three or more meetings with teachers has increased from 3% to 47%. The program has also expanded participation in community activities: 55% of families report participating in cultural, sporting, or leisure activities in their neighborhood, a 13-point increase compared to the previous program.

Project coordinator Eva Palasí emphasizes that placing families at the center of the intervention is as crucial to the model as focusing on the children. "We come from a system of care that was child-centered, but if similar patterns aren't found at home, it's difficult for it to take root," notes Palasí, who is also a social education and social work professor at the Foundation. She adds that it must be a coordinated effort with the local network. "Besides my children being able to learn Catalan and Spanish, it's also been an opportunity for me to connect with other mothers and families," confirms Ul Huda. Hernández agrees, also highly valuing the inclusion in festivities and activities promoted by the neighborhood community. "We learn about the history of the neighborhood and Catalan culture, the children get involved, and that also helps them feel like they belong," she emphasizes.

According to January data provided by Pere Tarrés, approximately 8,800 minors in Catalonia are under some degree of protection or guardianship by the General Directorate for the Prevention and Protection of Children and Adolescents of the Catalan Government, and more than half, around 5,200, live in a supervised center. A second important statistic: 36.5% of Catalan minors—490,000 children and young people—are currently at risk of poverty, a risk factor that increases the likelihood of them needing public protection measures or being institutionalized in residential centers. "If everything we reflect on were implemented in the world, perhaps it would be a little fairer," commented some of the children at the Poblenou socio-educational center. They added: "Everyone should be able to do their bit to reduce conflict in the world."

More investment

Regarding the implementation of the pedagogical model, the Foundation points out that it has been interrupted by a persistent lack of funding. Given the evidence that these types of programs work, the organization is calling for increased investment. "It's not enough to address high-risk situations; we also need to intervene preventively in other vulnerable situations among children," emphasizes Ruiz de Gauna. Txus Morata, also a project coordinator, adds that it's essential to improve their working conditions: "Otherwise, the system falters, as they barely reach the minimum wage, and this breaks the bonds established between families and educators." Morata, who is also responsible for the Foundation's network of socio-educational centers, notes that "the Generalitat's budgets don't reflect any increase in resources for this preventative work with children," and thus believes that, "despite broad consensus, there is a lack of commitment" from the administrations. "We need to move from ideas to action, and that's precisely what we're advocating," concludes Tarrés' deputy director.