Family Futures

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dvancing

ocial

ntegration

and

ntergenerational

olidarity

ble for collective welfare, has a duty to guarantee the rights

necessary for people to build careers and overcome vulner-

ability (such as education, health, employment, housing

and sociocultural rights). These rights must be guaranteed

by the possibility of access to resources, services and facili-

ties necessary for families to develop their productive and

reproductive cycles.

This framework is conceived as a suburban comprehen-

sive strategy and inter-agency approach with families that are

socially vulnerable. It has three core components:

• developing a proximity strategy with families to

develop family skills

• strengthening local support networks

• implementing changes in the governance of public

policies to respond rapidly and comprehensively, by

making various services accessible to those in vulnerable

situations such as extreme poverty and destitution.

These three components are inseparable and indispensable in

responding with the integrity required to give coherence to

a framework that seeks to overcome fragmentation and the

dichotomies that conceal contradictions.

“The axis of social benefits is central, because if changes in

the material conditions of life are not built then other aspects

of everyday life can hardly be changed: the links, the relational

structure, capacity building and learning. In turn, if there is

no process of psycho-socio-educational support to cooperate

and commit to access or restoration of violated rights, it is

unlikely the transition to processes of inclusion and social

well-being will be sustained over time.”

In connection with the foregoing, we should note the

relevance of the territory in this view and approach: “The

services and goods available, and the local networks that

provide social protection are varied depending on the char-

acteristics of each area of technical services and equipment

present. The proximity of existing community networks

also helps to identify the particular and institutional inter-

ventions and to approach families not contacted by the

healthcare and social protection network.”

Being precise in the above implication seems central.

Generally there are no major repairs or discussions about the

need for support and proximity to areas of poverty and desti-

tution. There needs to be agreement on the importance of

this aspect, provided that it does not compromise the skills,

responsibilities, and processes of autonomy or generate

unnecessary dependencies.

However, the development of social policies aimed at the

most excluded population has focused on cash transfers

and still tends to be accompanied by insufficient mate-

rial resources. The relevance of the material aspects in

transforming the living conditions of the poor and desti-

tute social sectors runs the risk of being hidden behind

‘psychologizing’ and/or ‘responsibilizing’ (sometimes

even blaming) explanations of the situation for families.

Therefore, to emphasize its relevance seems central to

avoiding undesired political, theoretical and methodologi-

cal approaches and effects.

This position involves multiple challenges and trans-

formation processes at different levels and with different

responsibilities according to the various stakeholders.

Statewide, it involves rethinking the orientation of the

production of public goods, which has so far been directed

towards individuals as subjects of intervention and consid-

ered from a homogenizing suburban perspective. Thus,

it represents a challenge and an invitation to reorienta-

tion, looking at the various family arrangements in their

Cercanías aims to strengthen families so they can care for dependent members, and to help households access social benefits, rights and other community resources

Image: Cercanías Coordination Program