The Ministry of Youth and Children is working on a decree that will mark minimums in the protection system for minors, so that there are common standards throughout Spain, regardless of the autonomous community. As announced by Minister Sira Rego in the branch commission of Congress, her department has put the initiative out for public consultation, which opens this Wednesday until November 27, to establish homogeneous criteria and promote, among other things, family foster care over residential care.
It is, as he stressed in his speech in the Lower House to explain the main lines of work of the ministry, a “key measure” to “shield” the rights of children and youth throughout the territory. The objective, he explained, is “to establish a common framework to ensure that all children experiencing homelessness can count on structures and projects that guarantee their rights and offer the possibility of developing their life projects.
To prepare the standard, they will have the experience of those who live and work in these shelter structures and the initiative will have several points as priorities: promote family foster care rather than residential care; the accessibility and structural conditions of the centers; the transition to adult life and the supervision and evaluation of centers; as well as the development of protocols against violence and discrimination. “With this royal decree we take a firm step towards a fairer and more effective protection system,” he defended.
Impact of the climate crisis on children
Also this Wednesday, Rego has advanced the creation of a permanent working group to analyze the impact of the climate crisis in children, made up of third sector organizations and the relevant ministries. “We must always keep our eyes focused on the causes in order to have active prevention policies that address the phenomenon in a timely and structural manner,” he stated. The group, created as a result of the devastating effects of DANA passing through Spain, aspires to develop actions, not only to confront the consequences, but also the causes of natural phenomena.
According to what he said, the “ecosocial crisis” will also be a “backbone” issue in the future youth law, another of the standards that his department works on to promote youth participation. The norm, which is in public consultation from September 6 to November 30, will lead to a first draft of the law which, according to what has been assured, will be written by the youth themselves after several participatory meetings created by the Ministry of Youth and Childhood for this purpose.
“End the Internet jungle”
Rego also recalled the law on the protection of children in the digital environment, which this Wednesday received the approval of the General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ). The minister has expressed her commitment to “put an end to the law of the jungle that dominates the Internet”, with an initiative that, among other things, imposes free parental control systems on mobile phones, tablets and computers; require issuing warnings of improper use of devices; develop literacy and media measures; and incorporate health methods that assess the risks of addiction or problematic use of screens. All this, together with the implementation of a national strategy that, like the law, will have with the participation of another 50 designated experts by the Executive to define all the necessary measures.
In fact, this working group has yet to publish a report that brings together how the situation currently stands and what measures should be taken to improve the protection of children and adolescents in the digital world. “His work has been completed and will be made public shortly,” has asserted, insisting on the need to not leave the task of self-regulation in the hands of technology companies. “We cannot take the risk that a company’s dividends are generated at the expense of overexploitation, overexposure of minors,” he stressed.
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