Social and Familial Inclusion of Children and Adolescents in Alternative Care: Advances and Challenges of Professional Practice in Brazil Today

Abstract

This article focuses on the advances and challenges of familial and social inclusion of children and adolescents in residential care in light of the new legal framework for services in Brazil. It also discusses the new framework's application to professional practices at different levels of management and decision-making in the social protection system in Brazil today. The authors' experience in creating and conducting training courses for educators and social managers who work directly in social protection programs or in the Justice system provides inputs for an interpretive analysis of family inclusion of children who live away from parental care, seeking to understand the progress and challenges and their applications to residential care services. Taking into consideration the data available in research and publications that provide an overview of the situation, as well as everyday professional practice, we specifically discuss the Individual Care Plan [Plano Individual de Atendimento] as a tool for implementing the rights of children and adolescents and for planning processes for their socio-familial inclusion. Individual Care Plans have contributed to improved and shortened stays in residential care according to judicial experts.