Fosters early monitoring of families with children at risk, thus increasing the capacity to solve family problems

The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation set up the Children and Youth at Risk Programme in reaction to the high numbers of children and young people that are abandoned, neglected or the victims of maltreatment in Portugal.

Given that one key area of need in this field is parental support, the Foundation decided to make Parental Training a prime component of the programme. The objective of this first intervention is to foster adequate and early monitoring of families with children who are already identified as being at risk thereby building the families’ capacity for solving their own problems, particularly with respect to day-to-day care and education of the children, thus avoiding the need to place children in care.

In 2007 following an open call for applications, eight parental training projects were approved. These are managed by non-governmental organisations with experience in the field of family counselling in collaboration with local child and youth protection services, parish councils, health centres, school groups and other associations. Lisbon, Sintra, Amadora and Setúbal are the first municipalities to host these projects.

The Children and Youth at Risk Programme is coordinated by Professor Daniel Sampaio.