La atención a la infancia en la Segunda Repúblicaantecedentes y nuevas iniciativas

Abstract

The first third of the 20th century witnessed a drive for the modernization of care for abandoned children within the context of the creation of a new social assistance network by the public authorities. As a result of its wide-ranging plans for reform, the Second Spanish Republic also strove to improve its childcare policies and passed a number of protective regulations accompanied by different practical initiatives to this end. Despite the prevailing winds of reform, the dire situation of many children in Spain, especially among the most underprivileged strata of society, gave rise to the foundation of a number of charitable associations whose mission was to provide assistance to abandoned minors. These associations also benefitted from official support under the Second Spanish Republic and drew the attention of some of the leading figures in the political and social movements of the time. Among these private institutions, a number of interesting foundations stand out due to being led by women, their secular outlook or their affinity toward groundbreaking trends in education. These institutions include the Protectorado del Niño Delincuente, the Casa de los Niños de España, the Casa de los Niños del Lyceum Club, and the Asociación Auxiliar del Niño.