An Asturian encourage family says it paid for eight trips to Madrid for a baby’s eye surgery and follow-up care. Eight months later, it was still waiting for reimbursement as the regional government examined possible solutions.
The encourage couple says doctors initially expected the baby to retain only 5% of the sight in his affected eye. After surgery and six follow-up visits in Madrid, the family said his vision had almost returned to normal; at the time of its account, repayment for eight journeys was still pending. In an account published on 25 October 2026, El Comercio put the family’s travel costs at approximately €6,000.
The family advanced the travel costs so the child could receive specialist care at Hospital Universitario La Paz. It says it kept invoices and supporting documents for the journeys, which included the operation and six subsequent reviews. Asturias’ director general for Children and Families, Vanesa González, acknowledged an administrative snag and said officials were considering ways to cover expenses that existing benefits do not address.
The baby arrived at the couple’s home in January at about six weeks old, from a reception centre in El Berrón. His carers noticed he did not focus on their faces, even during bottle-feeding. A paediatrician confirmed their concern, and specialists at the Hospital Universitario Basic de Asturias (HUCA) referred him to La Paz in Madrid.
The child was examined in Madrid in February and operated on on the 25th and 26th of that month. The family says it then took him to six further appointments. It has kept invoices and other supporting documents for all eight journeys. The carers believe a delay could have cost the baby sight in the affected eye and caused lasting harm; that is their assessment of the risk before the operation.
Information from the family, it contacted officials responsible for adoption and encourage care, as well as those overseeing children’s services, and the then regional social affairs minister, to request help with travel and accommodation. It says the head of the Asturias Childhood and Families Service asked for an estimate of each journey and said a new subsidy model would be sought in the child’s name. The couple understood that reimbursement might take one or two months, so they paid upfront for the care to proceed.
Eight months later, the family said it had made repeated requests without receiving full reimbursement. It was eventually told the file was awaiting review by the regional audit office and that it should seek payment from the Principality of Asturias Health Service (SESPA). The carers dispute that referral, arguing the costs arose while the child was under the regional government’s care and that the initial reimbursement assurance came from the social affairs department. La Nueva España reported that SESPA had paid €1,400, which the family said covered only part of its expenditure.
They also say SESPA’s medical travel support would not cover all their expenses. According to the family, the scheme would reimburse only 20%–25% of actual costs and calculate expenses for just one accompanying adult; it would not cover urban public transport or hotel costs. The carers say the arrangements are designed for biological families and do not fit their circumstances as encourage carers. The claim concerns repayment of documented travel costs, unlike the recurring family support discussed in the Vitoria aid case.
González said the file had been processed but faced a technical obstacle because the case was exceptional and did not fit the usual administrative arrangements. She said officials were exploring legally viable options, without specifying a payment route or a decision date. The family also pointed to changes among political and administrative managers during the period, including changes from August through October.
As of late October, the child still had a specialist appointment at La Paz scheduled for 12 November 2026. The family asked the administration to arrange and pay directly for transport and accommodation, as well as taxi fares and meals, saying it would not continue advancing travel costs while the earlier expenses remained unpaid. The carers said they were willing to accompany the child if the trip was funded.
The couple belongs to the Association of Encourage Families of the Principality of Asturias (AFAPAS) and says it has cared for twelve children since 2014. The carers say they would again put a child’s medical care first, but they have told officials they will not advance further travel costs while the earlier expenses remain unpaid.
