Child in shelter. — Photo: Willian Guedes.
Of the 14 shelters for children and adolescents away from family life in Campo Grande, at least four operate above the expected number of places.
In one of the units, there are 36 children for 20 places, which represents an occupancy rate 80% higher than the limit. In addition to the lack of vacancies, the structure faces problems such as a shortage of beds, basic hygiene items, caregivers and vehicles to take children to appointments and other services.
According to the judge of the Childhood and Adolescence Court, Katy Braun do Prado, ensuring the proper functioning of the service is the responsibility of the municipality.
"Unfortunately, children arrive in a space that doesn't have a bed for them. They will find a bed, sometimes they find a mattress without sheets, and the number of caregivers for 20 children is not enough to take care of 36, for example. Nor is the number of vehicles and people who can accompany them for health care and other services they need," he stated.
For the judge, the situation is especially worrying because children are removed from family life precisely to be sent to a safe environment.
"It's very distressing, because when the State needs to intervene in a family, it is saying: 'Look, you are not demonstrating protective capacity for your child, but the State will remove this child until you reorganize yourself and we will place this child in a safe place'. And that is what the Judiciary does, representing the State. And today I don't have the security that I am taking this child to a much better place than the one she had before", said the judge.
Katy Braun do Prado. — Photo: Willian Guedes.
Four units are over capacity
Campo Grande has 14 reception units for children and teenagers, according to a survey by g1. Ten are maintained by civil society organizations in partnership with the City Hall and are at capacity.
Another four units are maintained directly by the municipality and operate above the expected number of vacancies. Each one has capacity for 20 children or teenagers.
The situation is as follows:
Baby shelter: 27 children for 20 spaces — 35% above capacity;
Shelter for children aged 4 to 12: 36 children for 20 places — 80% above capacity;
Women's teenage shelter: 28 teenagers for 20 places — 40% above capacity;
Men's teen shelter: 28 teens for 20 spaces — 40% over capacity.
Increased demand
According to judge Katy Braun do Prado, the situation in shelters worsened after the pandemic and the death of the girl Sophia de Jesus O'Campo, in January 2023.
Since then, according to the judge, the population's demand for bodies such as the Police, the Guardianship Council and the Public Prosecutor's Office has increased to report possible violations of the rights of children and adolescents.
"Campo Grande is facing a serious crisis, both in health and social assistance and, as there is a failure in basic assistance, this demand appears in the specialized service. So, we have social assistance reference centers working only part-time, which makes access to the population and the monitoring of serious cases difficult, and also, people who express that they cannot get care and medication in the SUS", he explained.
The situation has been discussed in court since 2019
Child in shelter. — Photo: Willian Guedes.
The situation of shelters in Campo Grande has been under judicial review since 2019. According to the Judiciary, the City Hall made some adjustments over the years, including increasing the number of places, but the measures were still not enough to meet the demand.
In March of this year, a hearing was held to discuss the problem, but, according to the Court, the municipality did not attend.
According to the Child and Adolescent Statute (ECA), public authorities must guarantee care for children and adolescents who need protection. According to the judge, if the service is not provided adequately, there may be administrative and civil liability. In more serious situations, responsible managers may also be criminally liable.
Given the lack of progress, City Hall was notified again.
Justice demands planning for 2027
Judge Katy Braun do Prado reported that she requested the Municipal Council for the Rights of Children and Adolescents for information about the existence of a plan to expand the number of vacancies in 2027.
"I asked the Municipal Council for Children and Adolescents to inform us if there is any planning, a forecast for an increase in the supply of places in the year 2027. If this is being planned, we can wait for this to happen. Otherwise, it will be necessary to judge this case and, if it is judged valid, a time will be set for the municipality to fulfill its obligation to increase the supply of places", he stated.
According to the judge, compliance with the determinations may be accompanied by a fine in case of non-compliance.
What Campo Grande City Hall says
In a note, the Campo Grande Department of Social Assistance and Citizenship reported that, from 2020 to 2025, 43 additional places in institutional care for children and adolescents were acquired. The ministry also stated that management continues to evaluate, together with the competent bodies, the possibilities of expanding and reorganizing supply, considering existing demand and network capacity.
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