The 19 Commissions for the Protection of Children and Youth (CPCJ) monitored 3152 cases concerning the promotion and protection of children and youngsters in the Azores in 2011. This is one of the conclusions of the Annual Activity of CPCJ that was presented in Ponta Delgada on Thursday during the Regional Meeting of the Commissions for the Protection of Children and Youth. The event was promoted by the Regional Secretariat for Labour and Social Solidarity, through the Azores Institute for Social Development (IDSA).

Of the 3,152 cases monitored, 57.6% (1,814) correspond to cases opened in previous years; 34.7 % to cases opened in 2011 and 7.7% (244) to cases that were reopened that same year.

According to the Annual Report presented by Ricardo Carvalho, Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Protection of Children and Youth at Risk, there was a decrease in the overall number of cases of CPCJ in 2011, contrary to previous years. However, there was a slight increase (1.6%) in the number of cases opened in 2010.

The document identifies the main entities responsible for identifying risk situations; schools reported 298 cases in 2011, followed by police authorities (194), CPCJ (115) and Parents/Father/Mother (161).

Of the total of 3182 children and youngsters monitored by the Commissions for Protection of Children and Youth in the year under review, 53.6% are male and 46.4% are female. Regarding the analysis by age group, the 0 to 5 age group registered the highest incidence (992), which may be justified by the early identification and intervention of CPCJ.

The report also presents the main problems identified among children and youngsters: neglect (39.3%), exposure to behaviours that may jeopardise the welfare and development of children (15.5%); situations that may endanger the right to education (12.7%); physical abuse (7.9%); other dangerous situations (7.1%) and psychological abuse or affective indifference (5.3%).

The analysis of the problems identified in the cases reported in 2011 demonstrates that negligence and exposure to deviant behaviour patterns were the most common problems, registering 29.9% and 18.8%, respectively.

In 2011, CPCJ implemented 1,716 promotion and protection measures; the maintenance of children in their environment was the concern of technicians. The measures implemented in this context correspond to 91.2% of the total measures while placement of children in foster care or institutions corresponded to 8.8%.

With regard to the Report, Joana Marques Vidal, Deputy General Prosecutor and coordinator for the area of Family and Children in the Autonomous Region of the Azores, call for the need of conducting comprehensive studies on childhood and youth in the Azores by an independent body. Recognising the effectiveness of the responses implemented in the archipelago, Joana Marques Vidal defended that it is possible to develop a planned intervention and structured social politics to protect the rights of children and youngsters.

In turn, Paula Ramos, president of IDSA, drew attention to the programmes implemented in the Region, which focus on prevention and support to children and youngsters in addition to promoting behaviour changes and positive parenting.

These initiatives include: VINCA, a programme intended to promote family reunification of children aged 0 to 5; "Pais Mais Fortelacidos" (Empowered Parenthood) programme, addressed at young mothers and pregnant teenagers; the pilot project "Parental Education," targeted at families with children aged between 2 and 12; and the pilot project for the prevention of early school dropout "ABC - A Vida é Divertida" (ABC - Life is Fun) that was recently implemented in Vila Franca do Campo, S. Miguel. The latter will be extended to other school areas.

"The IDSA will continue to promote the presentation of projects aimed to combat and respond to social problems affecting children and youngsters in the archipelago," concluded Paula Ramos.