More Madrid families are stepping forward to host teenagers from state-run residences, giving them a chance at family life and greater educational stability. Through programs such as Un curso en familia and Vacaciones en familia, the regional government connects older minors, often overlooked in traditional encourage care, with households willing to offer temporary support.
For Evan Careng, now 20, the impact was immediate. Four years ago, he was struggling academically in a Madrid care center and faced the prospect of moving to a transitional apartment at 18, then putting his studies on hold to work. That changed when Irene Llabrés and Javier Serrano, parents of five, joined the Un curso en familia initiative. They had not been actively looking to encourage, but friends’ experiences and the flexibility of temporary care drew them in. Their decision allowed Evan to finish school and pursue a university degree in Advertising and Public Relations. He is now planning an Erasmus year in Prague.
The process is carefully managed. Social workers match families and minors information from their needs and preferences, often starting with weekend visits before arranging longer stays. For Evan, the transition was challenging: he left his younger sister in the residence and had to adjust to a new household dynamic. Over time, he became part of the family, taking part in events and daily routines. The program requires minors to return to their residence during the summer, but some families, including Irene and Javier’s, extend the arrangement through Vacaciones en familia, which covers holiday periods for children aged seven to 17.
Adriana de la Osa, president of ASEAF and a encourage parent herself, points to the value of temporary encourage care. Unlike adoption or permanent placements, these programs let families and minors commit for a set period, easing pressure and making the experience more accessible. Many adolescents hesitate to leave a familiar environment, fearing they will lose connections or struggle to start over. Yet when given the choice, they often find the experience rewarding and life-changing.
Madrid’s approach focuses on older children and those with specific needs, including disabilities or chronic illnesses, who typically have fewer opportunities for family placement. Since 2020, Un curso en familia has matched 107 minors with families, while Vacaciones en familia has enabled 509 children to spend summer holidays with 485 households over the past five years. Silvia Valmaña, director general of Infancia for the Community of Madrid, says most families who take part once choose to repeat the experience or move to longer-term arrangements. Others are constrained by changing circumstances or holiday plans.
The programs operate within a wider network of residential and community-based services for children and families. Fundación Salud y Comunidad, which manages Madrid’s Picón de Jarama Psychosocial Adaptation Residence for Children and Adolescents in Paracuellos de Jarama, reported supporting 1,341 people through its childhood and family work in 2025. That organization-wide figure covers its broader work, not the number of children placed through temporary family programs.
Interest among minors is growing, driven in part by word of mouth from peers who have benefited from the programs. For many, the ability to invite friends home is a impressive improvement over institutional life. So is being able to eat when hungry instead of following a set schedule, while continuing their education. The experience also brings difficulties. Adolescents like Evan describe initially fearing they would not fit in or might be sent back, even as they recognize the new possibilities family support can bring.
Madrid’s encourage care initiatives reflect a broader trend in Spain toward more flexible, needs-based solutions for minors in state care. The regional programs aim to bridge the gap between institutional living and permanent family placement, offering practical paths to education and personal development. Separately, a 2027-2030 social-services agreement reported by Noticias para Municipios provides €51.2 million in combined city and regional funding for a range of services. Its allocations include €597,000 for child and adolescent protection against violence through 12 Centros de Atención a la Infancia, serving children aged 0 to 17, and €1.1 million for family-protection and child-poverty programs. These are broader social-service measures, not designated funding for the two temporary-placement initiatives. This approach complements other social measures in Spain, including recent pension credits for parents, detailed in a related report on new Social Security benefits for families.
There are 1,858 children in state care in Madrid alone, according to the Ministry of Youth and Childhood. The focus on older minors and those with complex needs addresses a longstanding gap in the system, while giving families a structured, time-limited way to help. For many participants, the experience means more than providing shelter: it opens doors to education and greater stability, while fostering a sense of belonging that can shape a young person’s future.
