In this chapter of Global Perspectives, Jorge F. del Valle and Amaia Bravo discuss the history and state of residential child care in Spain including the transitions that occurred in the 1980s and 1990s. They also discuss types of residential care programs and qualifications of residential care staff. Del Valle and Bravo review recent literature in the area and discuss current challenges in Spanish residential care.
Del Valle and Bravo note that between 1939-1975, which was a time of dictatorship in Spain, social services, and child protection, were essentially run by religious orders. Del Valle and Bravo continue that this is understandable due to the political environment at the time, and the situation would remain unchanged until 1987 when the first large-scale legislative reform of child protection to be initiated in Spain.
Per del Valle and Bravo, Spain has a population of 46.8 million, of which 17.8% are under the age of 18. They further note that 34,830 children were found to be in out-of-home care.
Institutionalization was the prevailing means of providing care for children during the 1980s, per del Valle and Bravo. They note that this was the only alternative for children lacking adequate family care. Prior to this, in the 1970s, the principles of the community model started to gain ground in mental health and social intervention. Due to growing popularity of these principles, large institutions saw changes and decreased numbers by the end of the 1980s. It was determined that children in residential care needed family-style comfortable spaces with warmth and stable adults with which they could have significant and effective relationships. This objective was replaced in 1987 by one that would prioritize bringing children up in a family environment. Del Valle and Bravo points out that this destroyed the preconceptions of many institutions that had tried to develop programmes so that children could live in residential care facilities as their own home for as long as necessary.
Today del Valle and Bravo note that in most areas of Spain, there are no longer traditional children’s homes providing children’s care services. They state that “Most residential care facilities in contemporary Spain consist of small children’s homes housing 6-10 children although in some regions a few of the bigger residential centres accommodate 40 to 60 children.”