In Spain there are more than 16,000 minors who regularly reside in child protection centers. They are found in one of the 1,219 centers that are spread throughout Spain, divided into two types: ordinary centers (1,115) and centers for minors with behavioral problems (104).
Foster care is adopted as a protective measure when the public entity detects situations of lack of protection of a minor, either because it has been declared in a situation of helplessness, because it is requested by the parents or guardians themselves due to the impossibility of caring for them or because it is agreed upon by a judge when proceed legally.
Regarding detention centers for minors who have committed crimes, in Spain there are more than 1,000 minors serving judicial measures in detention centers that house young people who have committed crimes or misdemeanors.
Will minors residing in protection and reform centers return to their homes at Christmas?
In both cases it will depend on the circumstances and individual case of each minor. The reasons why they could not return home these days are diverse.
In the case of protection centers, it may be that the families reside in another country, that they do not have a suitable place to live, that the family situation does not recommend leaving, or that they are minor victims of trafficking or that they denounce their parents. parents for any reason.
In the reform ones it depends on the detention regime. For example, those who have a closed regime can enjoy permits once the first third of the measure imposed by the courts has passed. In the case of minors who are in a semi-open, open or therapeutic regime, the permits will depend on the assessment of the center's professionals, taking into account the possibilities of violating the measure, the commission of new criminal acts or a negative impact of the exit for the minor.
How do you experience Christmas in a Juvenile Center?
For minors who for any reason have been separated from their families, the Christmas season is one of the most difficult times of the year. For most of us, the Christmas holiday season is a joyful time to spend with friends and family, but for them, it represents the time of year when feelings of loneliness can peak.
In juvenile centers, professionals are aware of the reality that minors experience at this time of year, which is why they make every effort to schedule activities that fill and enrich these days that lack routine.
The fact that it is a non-school period gives the possibility of scheduling recreational activities that cannot be carried out at other times of the year and the fact that cities are filled with cultural activities invites minors to participate in them. .
A space is also saved for traditions, including the center's minors in its decoration and, leaving aside the menu, to be able to taste typical dishes and sweets of these dates.
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