Mexico City, February 15 – In a significant move to support children and adolescents requiring temporary homes, the Mexico City Congress has called upon the System for the Integral Development of the Family (DIF) to intensify its public awareness campaigns for the “Bienestar en Hogares de Corazón” program. This program focuses on placing vulnerable children with supportive families for temporary care, without the intent of adoption, while their legal and family circumstances are being resolved.
Over 1,200 Minors Under Institutional Care in Mexico City
Deputy Adriana María Guadalupe Espinosa de los Monteros, a member of the MORENA Parliamentary Group and proponent of the initiative, highlighted during last Thursday’s Ordinary Session that more than 1,200 minors in Mexico City are currently under institutional guardianship. These children are housed in shelters or social assistance homes, not by choice, but due to violence, abandonment, negligence, or legal issues that have separated them from their family environments.
Espinosa de los Monteros emphasized that the “Bienestar en Hogares de Corazón” program, implemented by the local DIF, is designed to channel these vulnerable children into temporary foster homes. These homes are provided by solidary families who offer care and affection solely until the children’s legal or family situation is resolved, without any adoption intentions.
Lack of Awareness Hinders Program’s Reach
Despite its critical importance, the deputy noted that the program suffers from a significant lack of widespread and sustained public dissemination. As a result, a majority of citizens are unaware of its existence, preventing many potential foster families from participating and offering temporary homes to those in need.
“Every day that passes without strengthening this program is another day of unnecessary institutionalization for a girl or boy who could be growing up in a supportive home. When it comes to childhood, it is about time, not an administrative resource,” concluded Espinosa de los Monteros, underscoring the urgency of the matter.
Legal Framework Supports Family-Based Care
The deputy also referenced the Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which Mexico is a signatory. Article 20 of the Convention stipulates that when a minor is deprived of their family environment, they must receive special protection and assistance from the State, prioritizing alternative care in family settings.
Furthermore, she recalled Article 4 of the Mexican Political Constitution, which mandates that the best interests of children must prevail in all decisions and actions of the State. Article 116 of the General Law on the Rights of Girls, Boys, and Adolescents establishes the obligation to adopt special protection measures when children are separated from their families.
Espinosa de los Monteros also pointed to Articles 31 bis 1 and 31 bis 2 of the Law on the Rights of Girls, Boys, and Adolescents of Mexico City, which state that when reintegration with the family of origin is not possible, children must be temporarily received into a foster family.
She stressed that the normative framework clearly dictates that a family environment should be the rule, and institutionalization should be avoided. However, in practice, there is a structural dependence on the institutional model.
“Shelters fulfill a necessary function of providing comprehensive protection to minors, but they cannot and should not replace the daily experience of affection, personalized bonding, and belonging,” affirmed Adriana Espinosa de los Monteros, advocating for a shift towards more family-oriented care.
