THE REALITY - SHELTERS IN BRAZIL

There are currently over 30,000 children and adolescents living in shelters in Brazil. These institutions may be governmental, non-governmental, and mixed. Every shelter must be registered with the Municipal Counsel for Children and Adolescents (Conselho Municipal da Criança e do Adolescente).

The enormous “orphanages” of the past housed 100, 200, and even up to 500 children and even included schools on the properties of these organizations. With the passage of the Statute for Children and Adolescents (Estatuto da Criança e do Adolescente or “ECA”) in 1992, these orphanages were no longer allowed to exist in this manner. Article 92 outlines the following guidelines for their restructuring:

ART 92: The entities that carry out shelter programs should adopt the following principles:

1. Preservation of family ties.
2. Integration into a substitute family when all possibilities for reintegration into the family of origin have been exhausted.
3. Individualized care and care in small groups.
4. Development of coeducational activities.
5. Keeping siblings together.
6. Prevent the moving of children and adolescents in shelters to other locations whenever possible.
7. Participation in local community life.
8. Gradually preparing adolescents for leaving the shelter.
9. Participation of community members in the educative process.
10. Article 94 outlines the obligations of juvenile delinquency programs (http://www.eca.org.br/apres.htm).

Over the past 20 years, shelters have begun adapting themselves to the stipulations of this law. Presently, a large percentage of shelters meet with the majority of these principles, but many are still violated in practice. Further, an official document created by the National Secretary of Welfare entitled “Technical Guidelines: Sheltering Services for Children and Adolescents” (Orientações Técnicas: Serviços de acolhimento para Crianças e Adolescentes) provides even more detailed guidelines to shelters.

A study conducted by Ipea on 589 shelters in the Network of Continued Action Services (Rede de Serviços de Ação Continuada) had important findings regarding these shelters in which little research had been previously conducted:

• 51.9% of shelter stays last more than two years. ECA establishes that stays in shelters are temporary and should last for 2 years at most.
• 6% of all children in shelters stay in these shelters for more than 10 years!
• It was estimated that 80% of children in shelters have families.
• 61.3% of children in shelters are between 7 and 15 years old.

Chart—Causes of Sheltering

27% Poverty
21% Abandonment
13% Domestic violence
8% Homelessness
9% Orphanhood
25% Other causes