Quality Assessment in Day Care Centers in Cantabria: A Program for at-risk Children and Adolescents

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.26754/ojs_ais/accionesinvestigsoc.20254611368

Keywords:

Day Care Centers for Children, social risk, child welfare system, prevention, quality assessment

Abstract

Background: Day Care Centers for Children and Adolescents (CDIA) are a resource widely used by Social Services to support at-risk families, promote children’s well-being and keep them in their family context. The aim of this study was to delve into these programs by means of a quality assessment project. Methods: For this purpose, 357 participants involved in one of the 16 Day Care Centers in Cantabria (Spain) were interviewed using an adaptation of the ARQUA system (Pérez-García, 2019), including children, adolescents, families and practitioners. Results: The results highlighted great satisfaction with the service, especially regarding the positive impact perceived in children and families derived from a relationship-based intervention delivered in a safe space. Discussion: Moreover, opportunities and potential areas for improvement are discussed regarding these services, which can be considered useful and effective in preventing risk factors for families and children.

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Author Biographies

  • Jaime Burón , Universidad de Oviedo. España.

    Jaime Burón has a degree in Social Work (2016) and a Master's degree in Criminality and Social Intervention with Minors (2018). He is a PhD candidate in the Humanistic Research program and a researcher in the Family and Childhood Research Group at the University of Oviedo. He has developed a certain background and professional experience in the field of childhood as a social educator in residential care for children and adolescents within the Child Protection System in Asturias (2018 - 2023), from where he has specialized through different training in "Therapeutic Parenting" models. His current research interests focus on the processes of prevention of risk situations within the protection system. Specifically, she is developing her thesis on Day centres for children and adolescents as support resources for at-risk families. She is developing her research through the Grant of the Own Research Program of the University of Oviedo (PAPI-22-PF-13).

  • Laura García-Alba, Universidad de Oviedo. España.

    Laura García Alba has a degree in Psychology (2015), a Master's Degree in Family Intervention (2016) and a PhD in Education and Psychology (2021). She currently works as a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Family and Childhood Research Group of the University of Oviedo with a Margarita Salas contract for the training of young doctors. Her research focuses on intervention with children and families from the protection system, with works and projects related to the needs of children and adolescents in residential care and ex-guardianship, as well as the process of transition to independent life of young people from foster care measures. She is the author and is responsible for the implementation of the PLANEA Program for the promotion of life skills and personal autonomy for young people in residential care, as well as the implementer of other evidence-based programs for this area. Since 2019, she has participated in the international INTRAC network for research on transitions to adult life from the protection system.

  • Iriana Santos-González, Universidad de Cantabria. España.

    Iriana Santos González is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Education at the University of Cantabria and a member of the Family and Childhood Research Group (GIFI) at the University of Oviedo and the Research Group on Socio-Emotional Development, Well-being and Education (IDSEBE) at the University of Cantabria. Her main lines of research are focused on the evaluation and intervention of the well-being of the population served in some protective measure. In recent years, she has focused her work on the difficulties that have arisen in this field, such as the care of unaccompanied migrant minors, intervention with young people with serious emotional and behavioural problems and the process of transition to autonomy of young people in centres. She has been a researcher in several national R&D&I projects on these topics and participated in the implementation of evidence-based systems and practices in residential care. She has also participated in community-based projects aimed at the well-being of the child and youth population.

  • Julio Rodríguez-Suárez, Universidad de Oviedo. España.

    Julio Rodríguez Suárez is a Professor with a PhD in the Department of Psychology at the University of Oviedo and a Professor-Tutor in the Department of Sociology at UNED. He has participated in numerous regional, national and international research projects and has various publications and scientific articles in national and international indexed journals. He has also been the director of the University School of Labour Relations in Gijón and a visiting researcher in the Department of Sociology at the University of Cambridge. In recent years, she has participated as a member of the Workforall Research Team and the Community, Legal and Health Psychology Research Group (CJS), researching issues such as social exclusion, precarious work and social mobilization. She is currently a member of the Family and Childhood Research Group (GIFI) at the University of Oviedo.

  • Amaia Bravo, Universidad de Oviedo. España.

    Amaia Bravo is a Professor of Psychosocial Intervention in the Department of Psychology at the University of Oviedo and deputy director of the Family and Childhood Research Group (GIFI). Her main lines of research are in the evaluation and intervention on emotional and behavioral problems of the population cared for in child protection homes, as well as in the evaluation of therapeutic residential care programs and evidence-based programs, among others. In recent years, she has focused her work on the difficulties that have arisen in this area, such as the care of migrant minors.

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Published

2025-03-28

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No. 46 (2025): Acciones e Investigaciones Sociales

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Copyright (c) 2025 Jaime Burón , Laura García-Alba, Iriana Santos-González, Julio Rodríguez-Suárez, Amaia Bravo

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How to Cite

Burón , J., García-Alba, L., Santos-González, I., Rodríguez-Suárez, J., & Bravo, A. (2025). Quality Assessment in Day Care Centers in Cantabria: A Program for at-risk Children and Adolescents . Acciones E Investigaciones Sociales, 46. https://doi.org/10.26754/ojs_ais/accionesinvestigsoc.20254611368
Received 2024-12-18
Accepted 2025-03-03
Published 2025-03-28