Santa Cruz has launched a new daytime facility for at-risk youths, inaugurated on 20th November by the City Council of the capital in the district of Salud-La Salle. This new social service will be operated by Aldeas Infantiles, whose proposal was selected to implement all the activities and initiatives outlined, representing an investment of 812,965 euros for this year, covering the period from April to December, as well as for the years 2025 to 2027.
The daytime service acts as a support and guidance resource for families who, due to their particular circumstances, lack enough resources (whether personal or material) to adequately meet the needs of their children. It provides them with a space for training and creative leisure, ensuring their needs are met while enhancing their social and academic skills and fostering improved social integration.
The intervention focuses on collaborating with families to enhance the care they provide to their children. Consequently, it serves as a preventive programme, emphasising processes of transformation and collaborative participation to enhance the quality of life for children, adolescents, and their families.
Mayor José Manuel Bermúdez (CC) states that, “as we outlined during the budget presentation for 2025, people are the central focus of the priorities and attention of this government team. Therefore, vulnerable minors must receive adequate care, which justifies the inauguration of this new centre in Salud-La Salle, a district with over 60,000 residents, of whom 25% are minors, making it the second highest in this demographic, only surpassed by the Southwest with 32%.”
The councillor emphasises that “we are deeply concerned about the vulnerability of children and adolescents, which necessitates attention and concrete actions to ensure their well-being and development. Factors such as socioeconomic status, lack of family and community support structures, and the absence of a safe and nurturing environment, along with the scarcity of specialised programmes and services, can create inequality of opportunities, adversely affecting the physical, mental, and emotional development of minors.”
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Furthermore, the Social Action councillor, Charín González, remarks that “the daytime services that provide care outside of school hours ensure education, nourishment, and adequate attention for minors when, due to personal, familial, or environmental circumstances, they cannot receive proper care within their family unit. Therefore, these services are envisioned as essential intervention experiences that allow for the continued presence of minors in the family by acting as mediators.”
At the new Salud-La Salle daytime centre, the guiding principles include uniqueness, acknowledging that each individual is distinct and requires specific, tailored actions in their educational intervention; inclusion, ensuring equal opportunities and integration; protective environments for their development, providing them with the necessary support to safeguard their well-being and uphold their rights; and secure attachment relationships, with unconditional, available figures who effectively assist in resolving difficulties.
