Opening your home transforms lives

"One day at school, we learned that one of our son's classmates was in foster care. We thought it was really nice. Years later, a friend told us about the process, and we decided to take the step." This is how Mayra's story begins. They foster nearly a thousand children in Catalonia, taking on the roles that their family of origin is temporarily unable to perform. They are their family and need a home that gives them love and security. That's why the government's commitment is clear: all children, especially the youngest, must be able to grow up in a family, and this will only be possible with more people willing to take them in. The government has provided financial support to strengthen technical teams, streamline procedures, provide more support to foster families, and implement tax improvements. The program includes specialized care, and holiday and weekend care. There are 798 foster families in Catalonia, caring for 908 children.

"I feel truly loved"

When Laura was eight, she joined a foster family. Today, she's 20, still living with them, and studying social education. "I'm very lucky. I had a second chance. I feel truly loved." Laura recalls that when she turned 18, she was very afraid. "Everyone was thinking about getting a driver's license or going out to parties, but all I thought about was whether she should leave home. Luckily, I was able to stay. And thanks to that, I'm at university."

The process of becoming a foster family includes training, interviews, and follow-up. The Catalan Institute for Foster Care and Adoption (ICAA) accompanies families and offers financial, psychological, and material support. "These children carry a significant burden. They need a safe and loving environment more than ever," says ICAA director Elena Lledós Monsó.

And they've found this environment in families like Mariona and Joe's. In 2015, when their two children were six and nine years old, they took in a four-year-old girl. "At first, we started by leaving the center and doing activities together, and we took her home for a few hours. Then she stayed," they recall. Today, she's thirteen and a new member of the family. "She really wanted to fit in and made every effort in the world," Mariona recalls proudly.

Growing up in a family: a right, a necessity

It's proven that living in a family fosters children's emotional, physical, and social development. That's why the Generalitat (Catalan government) is working to minimize the length of stay of minors in residential centers and encourages families of all kinds to take the step.

Testimonies like Laura's, a foster child, are the best example: "I would be thrilled if more and more people could be as lucky as I was." Her partner and I are clear that they want to foster. "Not adopt, foster. Give a second chance, like the one I had."

More information at https://acolliment.gencat.cat/