THE REGIONAL INITIATIVE “LET’S STOP THE INTERNMENT OF BABIES” ADVANCES WITH THE PILOT TEST IN CHILE

During May, there were a series of activities in Santiago during which representatives of RELAF held meetings with representatives of UNICEF and SENAME (National Service of Minors) so as to launch the pilot test of the project of deinstitutionalisation and improvement of the alternative care conditions of children under 3 years of age.

The activities included the participations of  Matilde Luna and Miguel Sorbello, on behalf of RELAF; Soledad Larraín, Lorena Valdebenito, Francisca Morales and Carolina Bascuñán, on behalf of UNICEF Chile; Víctor Martínez, consultant for UNICEF; Flora Vivanco, Ana Cáceres and Ana María Rebolledo, on behalf of SENAME; and Alicia Grandón, consultant for SENAME.

First, a meeting was held between UNICEF Chile’s working team and SENAME representatives, with the purpose of defining the guidelines of the project. In this meeting, SENAME presented the technical guidelines of the Chilean standards, and the implementation of the pilot test was discussed.

Later, there was an activity to work on the strategies to raise awareness among the personnel of children’s institutions about the importance of foster care as a measure of alternative care for children deprived of parental care, and the objectives of the program and the details of its implementation were presented. This activity had the participation of representatives of Family Courts, the Puente Programme and Chile Crece Contigo.

During the second working day, meetings were carried out with the workers who collaborate with SENAME and who have a home for babies who are still breastfeeding, as well as with members of the specialized foster families programme, with which the project was discussed. Finally, an evaluation of all of the activities was made and the next steps of the regional initiative were defined.

The accomplishment of these activities was possible thanks to the current regional and national conditions. It will be on the basis of the proof of the damage caused on children who are institutionalised at an early age that relevant workers of the cooperating bodies, the government and the civil society will be able to implement concrete actions to remedy this situation.

This initiative means an excellent opportunity for RELAF to promote, accompany and contribute to the restoration of the Right to Community- and Family-based care for babies without parental care.