FOSTER FAMILIES IN GUATEMALA (BY MATILDE LUNA)

The challenge to comply with the right to family-based care of Guatemalan children is considerable. The existence of enormous social and political difficulties is an obstacle for the development of childhood: the president has just declared a “state of calamity” due to the high level of children malnutrition, among other issues. Besides, there are other aspects mentioned in the other articles of this section. In this context, a group of families gathered together by the government programme “Substitute Families” of the Secretariat of Social Welfare, coordinated by Víctor Reyes, managed to foster some children deprived of parental care.

We want to introduce you to the Estupiñán-López Family. Its foster mother is Claudia; its foster father, Venicio; and their child is Diego. They kindly foster Sandra Marina while her definitive situation is being legally evaluated: reintegration into her family of origin or integration in an adoptive family. This family opened its doors and was pleased to share its experience with us.

We had the opportunity to meet the family along with social worker Marta Pixtún (she is the one holding the girl in the picture) and UNICEF professional Dora Alicia Muñoz, which provides technical cooperation for the programme. Due to the National Holiday, the whole family was together at home. Sandra is very outgoing and looks healthy after having started at a disadvantage: she was given to the family to be taken care of by the court, since she was “alone” in the hospital and her health condition was critical. Claudia is effective in her temporary role; she feels important in the life of this little girl and is recognises that she has given her the care that will enable her to have a better future. Venicio, a fireman, was the one who initially responded to the call for families made from the government programme. Diego is like Sandra’s older brother: he takes care of her and offers her new games, standing by her while she discovers the world around her. All of them think of the girl’s arrival as a blessing, and they anticipate how difficult it will be to say goodbye. However, their conviction of being a “substitute family” allows them to transmit firmly what they consider to be their mission: providing Sandra with the opportunity of having a family as well as being a “bridge” so that this girl can grow healthy, strong, sensitive, and communicative. Very good training and professional support from the team can be recognised in the family.

We have been told more foster families are needed, applying the criteria of the temporary nature of the role, giving children the opportunity to live in a family while governmental entities decide definitive solutions for all children deprived of parental care. Showing their expressive faces is better than describing the bonds established between this foster family and the girl, and between her and the professional responsible for the monitoring.