MAY 30, 2018

President Piñera receives proposals from the Working Group on Children with a focus on protection and development

The group submitted 94 proposals that include contributions from over 30 organizations. The main priorities are to promote the comprehensive development of all children and their abilities.

On Wednesday, President Piñerareceived the document containing the proposals from the working group for a National Agreement for Children, one of the five priority topics that the government is seeking to progress.

The document seeks to promote the comprehensive development of all children and adolescentsso that they can develop their abilities to the fullest possible extent, generating mechanisms for timely action in order to prevent some from falling behind, and protecting those whose rights have been violated so that they can get back on the path to development and wellbeing.

“Thanks to the proposal that we have received from this working group, we can start a new phase of our work for Chilean children to restore what society has taken from them: the right to childhood, to innocence, to love, to a family and to a fuller, happier life,” the President said. Piñera was accompanied by First Lady Cecilia Morel and surrounded by members of the cross-party working group, which includes legislators, ministers, undersecretaries and members of civil society and various organizations.

On April 2, the President led the first session of the working group and provided a 60-day deadline for submitting proposals to the Executive. The format included three stages: listening, proposing and reaching agreements.

Over the course of two months of work, a channel for citizen participation was opened through which over 200 initiatives and proposals were submitted. In addition, the results of participatory processes with children and adolescents were reviewed, residences operated by the government and partner organizations were visited, and sessions were held to hear concerns and initiatives. These sessions heard from more than 30 individuals, including representatives of foundations, academic institutions and volunteer groups who wanted to contribute to this process.

As he finished his remarks in the Pedro de Valdivia Room, President Piñera stated, “I truly feel that children have worked a miracle, because it has been a long time since our country has achieved an agreement of this magnitude and depth for such a noble cause as the children of our nation.”

Areas of Action

The National Agreement for Children is based on three areas of action: universal protection, protection of children and adolescents whose rights are at risk, and protection of and restitution for children and adolescents whose rights have been violated.

1- Universal Protection: To promote the comprehensive development of all children and adolescents, strengthening protective factors.

Main topics proposed by the Working Group:

  • Strengthening of and support for families, highlighting the role of the community – Principle of non-violence against children
  • Law guaranteeing children’s rights
  • Territorial coordination
  • Participation of children and adolescents
  • Education
  • Health
  • Integrated information system

2- Protection for At-Risk Children and Adolescents: To promote the maximum development of their abilities ensuring that no individual is left behind, through alert mechanisms and timely reaction and mitigation measures that allow for action to be taken before serious rights violations occur.

Main proposals submitted by the Working Group:

  • Prevention of sexual abuse of children
  • Need for prevention and early alert system
  • Educational reinsertion
  • Alcohol and drug problems

3- Protection and restitution of the rights of children and adolescents who have been abused.

Main topics proposed by the working group:

  • New institutional structure for children – legal representation
  • New agreement with the Judicial Branch – ambulatory programs
  • Foster families
  • Improving residential care
  • Funding an alternative care system
  • Immunity from prosecution
  • Adoption
  • Residential care for disabled dependent persons
  • Comprehensive support program for adolescent insertion of children and adolescents who move on to independent living – Proposals for incorporation of the PDL to create a Specialized Protection Service
  • Proposals for incorporating Juvenile Reinsertion Services into the PDL
  • Support for families to encourage family reunification
  • Changes and improvements to the current structure of SENAME – Mental health
  • Homeless youth
  • Support for the National Agreement for Children