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Back to school on a level playing field

Fundación Soñar Despierto

Every September, back to school is a key moment for thousands of children in Spain. For many, it represents a reunion with their friends, new learning opportunities and the excitement of brand new books and materials. However, for foster children, this return to the classroom can be a challenge full of uncertainties and obstacles that are not always visible. In Soñar Despierto, we want to focus on these children and adolescents, who, under the protection system, live realities that require special support so that their return to school is also an opportunity for growth and hope.

The importance of education for children in care

Education is a fundamental pillar of any child's development. However, in the case of foster children, it takes on an even more crucial value. Many of these children have been through traumatic situations, such as abandonment, violence or lack of basic care, which not only affect their emotional well-being, but also their academic performance. Often, these youngsters have had to change home, city or even school several times, which has led to interruptions in their education and difficulties in creating stable emotional bonds with their peers and teachers.

For them, the start of a new school year can mean more than just changing grades or learning new subjects; it can be an emotional challenge. It is a new opportunity to find stability, support and a network of people to help them believe in their potential.

Our commitment: to accompany and support

At Fundación Soñar Despierto, we firmly believe that education is the best tool to break the cycle of social exclusion that foster children often experience. Therefore, through our school and emotional support programs, we seek to provide these children with the support they need to face the school year with security and confidence.

Our school accompaniment and support programs connect volunteers with mentored children and adolescents, offering them a reference figure who accompanies them in their day-to-day school life. These volunteer mentors not only help them academically, but also become a fundamental emotional support to overcome any difficulties that may arise.

Support with school supplies is also vital. Thanks to the collaboration of companies and donors, we have managed to distribute more than 1,000 packs of school supplies so that each child can start the school year with everything they need: backpacks, books and stationery. Ensuring that these children have the same resources as their peers is essential to avoid stigmatization and promote their integration in the classroom.

A new course, a new opportunity

The return to school, for foster children, is more than the beginning of a new academic year. It is an opportunity to build a future full of possibilities, a space where they can dream of a better tomorrow and, above all, where they can feel accompanied along the way. At Soñar Despierto, we work every day so that these children not only go to school, but that they do so with the security that they are not alone, that they have a network of people who believe in them and are willing to walk by their side.

Because all children deserve the opportunity to dream and build their future, and education is the best tool to make it happen.