Marí­a Sánchez Brizuela

María Sánchez Brizuela holds a Bachelor's degree in Social Work from UBA, Argentina, with a specialization in social policies (UBA, Argentina), and expertise in NGO promotion and management from UCM, Spain. She is a postgraduate lecturer at UCES, Argentina, and is part of the teaching staff of the specialization course on the protection of children deprived of parental care organized by RELAF and UNICEF in Mexico, developed in partnership with UAM (2018), UDEM (2019), and UNISON (2020).

Since 2009, she has been part of the RELAF team, currently serving as the Coordinator of the organization and the CEN of RELAF. From various positions, she has participated in the development of more than 20 situation studies and policy tools to promote practices guaranteeing the right to family and community life for children. As part of the technical cooperation processes in the region conducted by RELAF, she has worked with governments and NGOs to promote the adaptation of alternative care, specifically through piloting deinstitutionalization, establishing or strengthening foster care programs, and implementing strategies to prevent unnecessary separations in 10 countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Uruguay, and Venezuela.