The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Mexico, and the Government of Jalisco, announce the local implementation of the Building Families Program.
This program seeks to prevent violence and substance abuse, as well as improve the mental health of women, caregivers, and children from home. Building Families is launched in Jalisco after the signing of the collaboration agreement between the Government of Jalisco and UNODC in Mexico last August, 2020.
The first stage of Building Families in Jalisco will train shelter personnel to provide healthy, safe, and peaceful environments to those that need it.
Jalisco is the first state to join this initiative, which promotes family interventions to improve ties between household members, and reduce aggressive and hostile attitudes between minors and the people in their care.
In the first stage, 50 caregivers of the participating shelters -Casa Hogar Cabañas, Cien Corazones, and Ciudad de los Niños; will be trained in nurturing skills with warmth and empathetic treatment, proper management of emotions, and a healthy balance between love and limits to reduce risk behaviors.
This first generation of caregivers will receive professionalization sessions to become future facilitators, replicating previous successful models from around the world, and the lessons learned among their peers. This is expected to impact 146 people caring for 238 girls and boys sheltered here in Jalisco. Additionally, derived from the alliance between UNODC and the Secretariat for Substantive Equality between Women and Men, a series of workshops on gender equality will be given aimed at this group of adults.
During the announcement of the launch of this program in Jalisco, the Secretary General of the Government, Juan Enrique Ibarra Pedroza, endorsed Jalisco's commitment to the Building Families Program for the care of children and adolescents.
“This is just a starting point, and Jalisco accepts the invitation for the seed to fertilize and then be harvested for the benefit of many human lives. Jalisco has a tradition of caring for girls and boys with the opening of the Casa de la Misericordia in 1810. Today we have many institutions such as Hogar Cabañas that give children the opportunity to warmly train and benefit thousands of families and homes.”
Kristian Hölge, representative of UNODC, highlighted Jalisco for having the vision and being the first state to be an ally of the Building Families Program, and confirming its commitment to improve the lives of Jalisco children by strengthening the capacities of those who take care of them on a daily basis.
“By strengthening the capacities of caregivers, children are helped to develop fully. That is why the creation of dynamics and spaces suitable for the well-being of both caregivers and minors needs to be recognized. When we feel good, that is what we transmit.”
The General Strategic Coordinator of Social Development of Jalisco, Anna Bárbara Casillas García, explained that the three shelters with which it begins become families for children who are there for different situations, some very difficult. Therefore, as a state, in addition to having them physically well, it is necessary to be able to provide them with human warmth and ensure their well-being.
“These actions are part of the priority that the State Government has to safeguard and enforce the rights of children and adolescents. This is only a part of these girls, boys, and adolescents with whom we are going to start. But we have many more lines of action to work with all the children of the state of Jalisco, which are in the future and also the present.”
Alberto Esquer, Secretary of Social Assistance of Jalisco, highlighted that new national and international models were sought for the care of infants and the professionalization of the caregivers in public homes and civil society.
“From Jalisco we tell the United Nations that they have an ally at the national and international level for this important task that we are carrying out. From Jalisco we tell the United Nations that we are going to do a great job, because here we care about our girls, boys, and adolescents, ”said Esquer Gutiérrez.
Jalisco thus becomes a model for other states in the implementation of the Building Families program, promoting healthy, safe and harmonious environments for the comprehensive development of children and youth.
The Building Families program is based on international standards endorsed by the World Health Organization. It has more than 10 years of experience, and has been applied in 45 countries globally and 9 countries in this region, including Mexico.