President Piñera creates National Support and Care Subsystem: “It is good for Chile’s soul and allows us to be a better community.”
The entity grants benefits to functionally dependent individuals and their caregivers, strengthening the Local Support and Care Network program.
Chile’s President Sebastián Piñera signed a decree creating the National Support and Care Subsystem (SNAC) on Tuesday, which will benefit the caregivers of individuals in a situation of functional dependency.
“The goal is to help dependent individuals as well as the people who care for them. That is a goal we are fervently promoting, and today we will sign a decree that institutionalizes the Chile Cares Program to make it permanent, so that it continues to grow. We are reaching a lot of people, but there are still many households that need help,” the President stated at a ceremony held at La Moneda Palace. He was accompanied by First Lady Cecilia Morel and Social Development Minister Karla Rubilar.
The initiative strengthens various actions meant to educate and raise awareness about caring for individuals who are dependent, favoring the development of a culture of care, as well as family and community settings that contribute to promoting autonomy and creating a positive view of individuals with dependency and their families. It also coordinates access to various state services for individuals in a situation of dependency.
The services provided by the subsystem include the Local Support and Care Network Program, an initiative that supports the Care Plan and creation of a Home Care Service, which will replace caregivers without neglecting individuals’ needs. Caregivers will be given preferential access to public programs and benefits and to other services such as home banking with Banco Estado, the National Healthcare Fund, the Social Security Institute, guaranteed access to the Solidarity Pillar and the Caja Los Andes family allowance compensation fund.
“Chile Cares will make ours a more human, inclusive society that treats everyone with the dignity that we all deserve,” the President added, noting that the program will be expanded to cover 27 new municipalities.
The expansion of the service brings total coverage to 5,360 people in a situation of moderate or severe functional dependency and 4,663 caregivers.
The National Support and Care Subsystem is part of the Local Support and Care Network Program, and is implemented by municipalities with the technical support of the Social Development and Family Ministry.
“Life is hard; living it with dependency is even harder. I would like to thank the caregivers who give the most important things that one needs when one is in a situation of dependency, which are care and love,” President Piñera concluded.