Chile Solidario: A Comprehensive Guide to Social Protection in Chile
Chile Solidario is the component of social protection system that is dedicated to the care of families, people and territories that are vulnerable. It was created in 2002 as a government strategy aimed at overcoming extreme poverty. Subsequently, the consolidation of an institutional network to support social integration, the creation of mechanisms for the expansion of opportunities available to people in the territories and the establishment of Social Protection tab, expand allowed Chile Solidario coverage to other groups, creating initiatives to address various situations of vulnerability that affect the population.
The government of President Michelle Bachelet has ratified the importance of policy instruments that contribute towards the full realization of the rights of individuals, in particular, reversing inequities affecting those who are affected by various situations that have a negative impact on their present and their future. That is why the Government’s social agenda has been directed with great determination, to building and strengthening initiatives to ensure basic conditions of wellbeing for the entire population, from birth to old age. In that sense, Chile Solidario is part of a social protection policy much broader perspective where the rights are implemented through such central areas of social policy such as education, health and social security and pensions.
In practicality, Chile Solidario is a management model, represented in the Executive Secretariat based in the Ministry of Planning and regional ministries, both instances involved in coordinating the institutions responsible for delivering social benefits, to work on a network. The system generates specific resources to those areas of need for users that does not cover regular supply through expansion of existing social programs or through the generation of new demands for care not covered. In its operation, is a decentralized system that works in close collaboration with local governments, municipalities, who are responsible for the main functions of social protection. Thus, Chile Solidario complements and strengthens its task, providing technical, methodological and financial resources to ensure timely and quality care for families and most vulnerable people in the territories.
It also has a legal framework that governs the operation of the system provides the mode of operation of its components and the system of securities regulation. This framework defines the principles of system operation, scope and modalities and, above all, enshrines those benefits should be allocated to people by law, an issue that this system makes it distinctive in relation to the type traditionally used to assign benefits application and wait.
To fulfill its purpose of contacting families and individuals who are at heightened vulnerability, Chile Solidario works closely with the Social Protection tab. But also generates linking devices and support for the incorporation of users to the social safety net, result in effective use of the opportunity structure arranged through programs, services and cash benefits. For this, Chile Solidario works through its own programs for bonding and empowerment of people and devices that work like mediation, counseling and support. It is specialized in psychosocial support services which, through specific socio methodologies, proposed pathways that facilitate the transition accompanying families and people to other processes of social integration. These are the following:
- The Bridge Program, aimed at families in extreme poverty. This is run by the municipalities and is managed and technically assisted by the Fund for Solidarity and Social Investment (FOSIS).
- Linkages Program, aimed at supporting vulnerable adults and elderly who live alone. This is a city-run program that offers technical assistance of the National Service for Older Adults (SENAMA).
- Street Program, aimed at working adults who are in this situation. It is a program run either by municipalities, provincial governments and NGOs and their management and technical assistance is provided by Ministry of Planning.
- The Roads Program, aimed at supporting children in families where there are situations of forced separation because of the enforcement order of one of its members. The program is implemented by NGOs and their design and methodological support is provided by Ministry of Planning.
To fulfill its purpose of creating conditions for people in need of support and assistance, have access to resources to sustain a basic level of wellness, along with identifying contexts of vulnerability of people through The Tab Social Protection and linking strategies to generate consistent profile of each group, through its programs of psychosocial support, Chile Solidario enables the provision of cash benefits as collateral, who meet requirements for it. The main ones are the Single Family Subsidy (SUF), Grant Consumption Using Water and Wastewater (SAP), the grant to the Identity Card and Basic Pension Solidaria (PBS).
And, moreover, Chile Solidario system complements the selection of people, allocation of profits and educational intervention and psychosocial support, generating facilities and preferences in access to the network of social programs and services of the local institutional network many of them in direct agreement with Chile Solidario. With this scheme of joint, increase the chances that people can use to ensure a better standard of living and participate more autonomy of family life, social and productive.