37% of children’s homes are overcrowded and almost 600 children are ‘totally abandoned’

Almost the 40% of State-administered children’s homes are overcrowdedaccording to a report prepared by the Power of attorneywho also warn of the “critical situation” that children and adolescents face.

According to him “National Report on Visits to the Residential Centers of the National Service for Specialized Protection of Children and Adolescents”which covered the second half of 2023, when 275 of 290 institutions were audited and which was published this day by the newspaper El Mercurio“about 37% of State-administered residences are overcrowded,” but if the residences that are at full capacity are added to this figure, “the percentage is close to 57%.”

The report adds that 597 minors “are in total abandonment, without an adult from the nuclear or extended family who has a presence in their life and can generate a connection, to achieve their discharge.” In addition, it was noted that at least 559 children and young people use drugs.

The above, according to the report, “gives us a background to the critical situation in which a significant number of children and adolescents are being cared for and the possible consequences to which they are exposed, in physical and emotional terms, as a result of of coexistence in overcrowding.”

The consequences of this overpopulation are serious, since they affirm that “there would be a distortion in the general objective that these centers have, keeping in mind that these are centers called for care and protection, this distortion would not contribute favorably to the restitution of rights to the referred children and adolescents, an issue widely observed in these visits.”

The jurisdictions with the highest percentage of overpopulation are found in Punta Arenas (50%), La Serena (79%), Iquique (80%) and Arica (83%).

The Judiciary in its report observed a constant “absence of coordination between the protection service and the health network for the priority care of children and adolescents”, in particular, the “critical situation regarding mental health” was perceived. of the residents.”

“Many of the boys, girls and adolescents admitted to residences are physically, psychologically and emotionally exposed to victimization and new sources of violation, noting the absence of intervention plans,” he concluded.