This was stressed by the Secretary of State for Inclusion of People with Disabilities at the launch of a report – the Casa Report – Annual Outline of the Situation of Fostering of Children and Young People in 2017.
In ten years, the placement of children at risk in families other than their own suffered a decrease of 73 percent.
Last year, there were 7,553 children and young people
in Portugal’s care system,
which is also the lowest number in a decade.
In Portugal, foster families are still a minority option and for now it seems will have to remain as such, according to State Secretary Ana Sofia Nunes.
“Until we have the necessary means to guarantee the supervision and inspection of the host families, we do not feel safe to increase numbers, even though that is our will”, she said, during the presentation of the report earlier this week.
Without this supervision, host families will be left to conduct their services “behind closed doors” without any witnesses other than family members, which is not what happens in institutions for children and young people, Ana Sofia Antunes stressed.
This latest CASA report shows that there are currently only 178 foster families in Portugal and that within a decade there has been a 73 percent retraction in the offer of this solution.
Last year, only three percent (246) of the 7,553 children who were in the care system had been placed with foster families, although the law in force recommends that a family unit be given priority, especially when children are aged six or under.
Last year, 2,857 youngsters came out of care, 34 percent of whom had shown behavioural problems. Other problems reported to affect youngsters in care were substance- abuse and running away.
The report, whose presentation was covered by newspaper Público, also showed 46 foreign minors are currently in care, the majority of whom were the victims of human trafficking networks.
Furthermore, last year, the
report shows, that 469 children were removed from their families due to them having suffered sexual abuse.