Over 32 thousand kids away from family life in Brazil

A report released by organization Aldeias Infantis SOS on Wednesday (Aug. 2) revealed that 32 thousand children and adolescents across Brazil are living in foster care homes, away from family life. The Southeast and the South are said to concentrate eight out of ten of these kids.

“In the two most developed and wealthiest regions of the country, we have most children and adolescents away from their families due to lack of assistance from the state, society, or both,” said Bem Cuidar Institute Coordinator-General José Carlos Sturza de Moraes during the presentation of the report.

Six out of ten sheltered kids do not receive family visits, he pointed out. Despite the lack of bonding, many want to return and live with their families, or at least reestablish contact.

The study Vozes (in)escutadas e rompimento de vínculos: pesquisa sobre crianças e adolescentes em cuidados alternativos, egressos/as e risco a perda de cuidado parental no Brasil—“Voices (un)heard and the severance of bonds: Research on children and adolescents in alternative care, graduates and risk of loss of parental care in Brazil”—was prepared by the Bem Cuidar Institute and released today at the Paulus College of Technology and Communication (FapCom), in São Paulo.

Among the top drivers leading them to foster care services are neglect and physical or psychological violence. On a scale from zero to ten, neglect appeared with an index of 9.21, and is the number-one motivator behind foster care across all Brazilian regions.

In the case of neglect, the study revealed that the problem should not be attributed exclusively to families, but it is also linked to the lack of access to basic public policies, like available spots in daycare centers and food insecurity.

In second place is physical and psychological violence, with 8.27 in the index. Next comes substance dependence affecting guardians, scoring 7.89. Many forms of violence are related to sexual exploitation (5.48) and food insecurity (5.21), a factor directly associated with poverty. Orphanhood scored the lowest: 4.15 on the national average.

Profile

According to the data, 25 percent of children and adolescents living under foster care are up to five years old; 27 percent are aged 6–11, and five percent are 18 years old or older. Most (44%) are between 12 and 17 years old.

Also striking is that almost 40 percent of young people have been in foster care for over 18 months, which is longer than the period established by law. Among these cases, boys and those who declared themselves black were the most affected. In addition, about 60 percent of the respondents had been through more than one foster care home.

“The research results cast light on the need for urgent action to ensure better living conditions and access to public policies for families at risk of breaking ties, children and adolescents in alternative care services, and continued support for young people who have left these services,” the text reads.

The study was carried out from November last year to March this year across 23 states plus the Federal District. During this period, more than 350 children and adolescents under the custody of the state, sheltered in homes, public shelters, and NGOs were heard.