The Institute for Social and Health Action (IASS), alongside the Municipal Board of Social Services of Arona, has made the decision to shut down the Chindía home for abandoned children, a facility that has been operational since 2018 under a collaborative agreement between the two entities.
Chindía was established as a comprehensive, temporary, educational centre aimed at caring for minors who were abandoned or requiring support. It provided residential accommodation for eight adolescents aged between 13 and 17. Over six years, this home functioned as a sanctuary with the goal of promoting “harmonious and integrative development within a family-like setting.” The centre had a team of eight professionals, including a director, three educators, three social carers, and a cook, ensuring that the physical, emotional, familial, and social needs of the young residents were adequately addressed.
The closure of Chindía has been executed without the complete loss of services. As per Águeda Fumero, Minister of Social Action, the youths have been placed in alternative centres, with an agreement reached in December 2023 to manage 180 places for the care of homeless minors. Some of these individuals have even been accommodated by families, while others have already attained adulthood. The documentation that facilitated the closure of Chindía was signed by both entities on May 28, culminating in the centre’s closure on August 31.
Fumero indicated that another facility in Icod was also closed, as part of a process whereby the Tenerife Island Council regained control of powers previously allocated to the municipalities. Nevertheless, this decision has raised concerns within the local political arena.
“We are losing more and more resources in the area”
Raquel García, spokesperson for the Socialist Party of Arona, now in opposition, has voiced her significant apprehension regarding what she perceives as a “drift” in the management of the municipality’s social services. “We are losing more and more resources in the area,” she stated. García also highlighted the ambiguity surrounding the future of the centre’s staff and criticised the lack of transparency in the process, emphasising that “there are numerous matters that need clarification.”
DIARIO DE AVISOS has pointed out that the rationale behind this decision was the failure to renew the agreement. Some reports have insinuated that the closure could be attributed to “the lack of timely justification for the centre’s expenses.” However, this publication cannot substantiate this claim.