A dozen foster families in the Girona region have been waiting for months for a child to be assigned, while 115 babies remain in care centers. The complaint was made public by the Association of Foster Families of Girona, which puts the number of institutionalized minors at 260 if all children up to six years old are included.
The paradox, according to the entity, is that the Parliament already approved a law to remove all minors under six years old from centers and to ensure that babies remain in them for the shortest possible time. Despite this legal framework, already validated families continue to not receive new assignments, and waiting times have stretched for months.
AFAG reports months of waiting with 115 babies still in centers
The association attributes the situation to poor management of the system by the Catalan Institute of Foster Care and Adoption. In its diagnosis, the accumulation of files and the lack of communication between territorial delegations are slowing down the placement of minors in homes that are already available.
Until now, the period between one foster placement and another ranged from one week to two months. Now, AFAG maintains that there are families who are experiencing several months of waiting without receiving any proposal, despite remaining active within the system.
In the Girona region, this delay already affects a dozen families. The entity points out that the problem is not limited to babies, as the number of minors in centers rises to 260 when all children under six years old are counted.
Emergency foster care extends up to two years despite official limit of six months
Emergency and diagnostic foster care is intended for minors from zero to six years old and has an official maximum duration of six months. However, in most cases, this period ends up being extended to one or two years, according to the association.
This type of foster care requires high availability from families, and the entity's board calls for changes in access conditions. Specifically, it asks that being unemployed no longer be a requirement to be able to assume emergency and diagnostic foster care.
The association argues that this requirement is maintained in a context where families do not contribute to social security and do not receive financial support. In their opinion, this condition further reduces the pool of available homes to care for young children.
The AFAG admits, just like the Generalitat de Catalunya, that there is a shortage of foster families. Even so, it maintains that the Department of Social Rights is not taking into account families already validated who continue to await an assignment.
Emergency and diagnostic foster care, aimed at children from zero to six years old, has a maximum official duration of six months, although in most cases it ends up being extended to one or two years.