Back to school: the “la Caixa” Foundation provides socio-educational support to more than 20,000 children in vulnerable situations

Coinciding with the start of the 2025-2026 school year, the "la Caixa" Foundation is reinforcing its commitment to vulnerable children for another year through the CaixaProinfancia program, which offers educational support, leisure activities, psychological support, family workshops, and basic assistance to thousands of families across the country. This year, CaixaProinfancia will reach more than 20,000 children and teenagers from 13,000 vulnerable families in Catalonia, providing them with ongoing support in their educational and personal development. Nationwide, the program will reach more than 65,000 children from 41,000 families. The program's objective is to combat child poverty by providing socio-educational support throughout the school year so that children and teenagers from families with economic difficulties can progress on equal footing. To this end, CaixaProinfancia offers a variety of services such as educational support, psychological counseling, speech therapy, family workshops, and leisure activities, as well as assistance to cover basic needs such as food, hygiene products, school supplies, and specific items like eyeglasses and hearing aids. "We want to ensure that no child is left behind due to their family's economic difficulties," stated Albert Rodríguez, director of the CaixaProinfancia program. Therefore, the program's commitment is that "all families can start the school year on equal footing, with the resources and support necessary for their personal and educational development," Rodríguez explained, because "education is the best tool we have to break the cycle of poverty and build a more just society." This support is provided through a network of more than 400 social organizations throughout Spain, in collaboration with schools and public administrations, allowing the support to be tailored to the specific needs of each region and each family.

Breaking the cycle of poverty through education

In Spain, 1 in 3 children is at risk of poverty or social exclusion. CaixaProinfancia has been working for 17 years to break the cycle of inherited poverty and promote the comprehensive development of children and adolescents in disadvantaged contexts. The program aims to strengthen academic skills, improve self-esteem, foster independent learning, and contribute to the social inclusion of the children and young people who need it most. All of this with a common goal: to promote equal opportunities for those in the most vulnerable situations.