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Project Família was created
because we needed to attend to
children who are at risk
in their families.
They are often removed from their parents
without any sort of family therapy
and without the sources of danger in the family being eliminated.
In terms of numbers, I can tell you
that since 2006 we have had
an agreement with Social Welfare
and we have intervened
in the lives of about 1950 children.
This means 860 families.
Project Família is set into motion
when an organization refers a family.
Families must accept the intervention, and once they do,
we don't do any more paper work.
We carry out our work in their home
and in the community where they live.
It's intensive and for a short period of time.
It lasts six weeks.
The family assistant
is on call 24 hours a day,
7 days a week.
The assistance focuses on
boosting the family's potential
in order to allow
people to slowly change.
This should eliminate
the main risk factors
of their situation.
The assistant has no work schedule.
This is important.
Issues don't only come into in the assistant's office
between 9 and 5.
Family problems occur
when the family comes together,
when the different members
come together.
Then, for a year
we do the family follow-up.
The innovation is:
we always work
in their home, in their context.
Secondly,
the fact that
we don't approach the family
by telling them
how a family should be.
We work with them as a partner
who asks them what they need.
Finally, the fact that
we provide prompt solutions
over a limited time frame.
Families never feel invaded
by the family assistant.
Families feel they ask the assistant for help.
This may seem
to be
of little importance, but it's not.
If we think about ourselves, we can call for help.
But if someone tells us
what to do, we don't like it.
Nobody does.
Dr Rita comes to my home,
and talks to my kids.
She checks if they're OK.
She talks to me and checks if I'm OK.
In any matter
regarding my children
where I'm afraid of
making a decision, I call Dr Rita.
I ask for opinions.
If any problem comes up,
I call Dr Rita.
Dr Rita is my guardian angel.
I feel good because I know
she's at our side.
We analyse cases with the referral body.
We have noticed that,
considering the families under assistance,
in 60% to 70% of these families
after a year kids may safely remain in their homes.
This has social costs.
Clearly, children born unloved
who grow up unloved
will become unhappy adults.
They will have all sorts of problems.
Secondly,
there are financial reasons.
Because
assisting a child
over a year, as I told you before,
over a whole year,
costs the same as institutionalizing a child
for one month in an institution.
By funding this project,
the State saves a lot of money,
namely twelve times what it has to spend
in an institution.