The Family And Its Incidence In Resilience Processes: Perceptions Of Staff In Charge Of Institutionalized Children And Adolescents In Tamaulipas

Abstract

One of the most relevant and fundamental rights for every children and adolescents (NNA, by its Spanish acronym) is the right to live within a family environment that provides security, protection and love—a space that guarantees their full and integral development, as established by the General Law on the Rights of Children and Adolescents (2014). However, a significant number of children in Mexico are separated from their families due to various situations that place them in vulnerable conditions. Consequently, the State authorizes their separation and placement in residential care institutions known as Casas Hogar, now formally referred to as Social Assistance Centers (CAS). This study, which is part of ongoing research, explores the perceptions of staff working in a Casa Hogar in the state of Tamaulipas regarding the concept of family and its influence on the resilience processes of institutionalized children and adolescents (NNA). The theoretical framework draws on Bowen’s Family Systems Theory and the Theory of Resilience. The family is recognized as the primary socializing unit and essential for the integral development of children. However, due to vulnerability conditions, many are institutionalized, forming alternative bonds within CAS environments. Through qualitative interviews, it becomes evident that staff perceive themselves as surrogate parental figures, although they express reservations toward adoption or foster care. Despite being questioned in current policy debates, institutionalization is still viewed by staff as a safe option. The analysis suggests that these perceptions may hinder deinstitutionalization and family reintegration processes, highlighting the need to rethink alternative care models from a rights-based and resilience-centered perspective.