Relatively recently, we have heard a lot more talk about the “casitas infantiles” (Children's Houses), following the opening of several in Las Tunas. According to education officials here, their existence has made a difference, and for the better, in several municipalities, meeting the unsatisfied demand for capacities for the little ones in the childcare centers.

But how do they differ from these? Will we have more?

X-RAY IN THE FIELD

From a methodological point of view, the functioning of the casitas is similar to that of the children's circles, but not their economic management, as defined by Resolution 58 of 2021 of the Ministry of Education (Mined in Spanish). The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) representative in Cuba explains that they are designed to provide "services to children (from 0 to 6 years of age) of mothers, fathers or guardians, in entities that, based on their economic and material conditions, can designate funds for their opening, maintenance, and sustainability."

The Methodological Manual for the Creation of Children's Houses in Cuba, published by both institutions, is the reference for entities planning the creation of this type of center. The document details how it would work, including the variants to guarantee a vital supply of daily food. At the same time, it states that the methodological work methods established by the Ministry of Education will be used for systematic training sessions for teachers (educators and teaching assistants), according to a timetable and the needs of priority topics for the correct development of the educational process.

At present, there are 170 children's homes in Cuba, of which a little more than a dozen function in the Balcón del Oriente Cubano (Eastern Cuban Balcony), which in turn houses a total of 371 children. The majority (11) are under the control of entities attached to the Ministry of Education; the other two operate thanks to the efforts of institutions under the orbit, respectively, of the Ministries of Public Health and the Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR in Spanish). This is consistent with what happens in the rest of the country, as the budgeted units have opted to establish them largely.

"So far they have been very well accepted by the beneficiary families, as it is a very favorable solution for mothers, fathers or legal guardians; workers who do not have the service of childcare centers because the demand is very great and there are few capacities," says Yanara Campaña Mariné, head of the Department of Early Childhood in the Provincial Directorate of Education.
Campaña Mariné maintains that the casitas have largely satisfied the requests, for example, in the municipalities of Manatí, Jobabo, Amancio, Majibacoa, and Puerto Padre; to the point of not requiring another one or a children's circle. However, he points out that "the territory has more than 1,600 requests from families for the children's circle service, with the districts of Las Tunas and Colombia standing out as the most critical cases."

Education is responsible for the preparation of the teachers who work there, both methodologically and in terms of training. "It advises, controls, and monitors the educational processes that are developed. It guarantees the material basis of life and study for children and workers," she says.

In the casitas, the capacities vary between 10 and 20 children, whose food is mainly provided by the children's families and, in some cases, by the institutions that built them.

Recently in the municipality of Amancio, the children's home Pequeños Galenos was founded. Ten children go there every day, although it could receive 20 more. The children of doctors, doctors, and nurses are there.

"The need was objective. Based on the feelings of the workers, the indication of the President, and the situation of the children's circles in the territory, we became aware of the urgency of opening a children's house in the Public Health sector," emphasizes Ariel Guevara, director of Health in this southern territory and main promoter of the "Pequeños Galenos". "The most difficult, he says, was to identify the area, find a place, and there were complex conditions." Guevara praises the contribution of the sponsors of the work: the collective of the Agribusiness Sugar Company. "They helped us during the 42 days of construction. Thanks to the cooperation of the government, the workers, and the Provincial Directorate of Education, today the little house is running smoothly," he says.

"Here the children go through all their basic processes just like those in the children's circles, from the time they enter until the time they leave. They carry out independent and programmed activities that prepare them for their daily life. They are helped with essential processes such as bathing and feeding," says Yenilé Zayas Varona, one of the educators.

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Children's Care Houses Provide Services in All Las Tunas Municipalities

"It gives me peace of mind to go back to work knowing that the children are well cared for. Sometimes, because of time constraints, we don't have the opportunity to dedicate time to their learning. The educators are very well prepared. They help them, with a lot of dedication, to carry out their basic processes accompanied by activities that prepare them for life. The premises are well equipped. I think it's like their second home, maybe their first," praises Maideluvys Santiesteban Peláez, a nephrologist and beneficiary mother.

A little further north, in the municipality of Colombia, the educator in charge of the local children's home Meñique says: "We have an enrolment of 24 children, to whom we provide educational attention so that they can reach the developmental milestones for each age, from 1 to 5 years old, and thus enter pre-school," describes Milagros Montero Yero, a graduate in Early Childhood. "We open at 6:30 in the morning. Our institution provides benefits to education workers, self-employed people, and families in vulnerable situations in the community of Alba Flores," she adds.

There is a lot of concern around the "Meñique", not so much because of the size of its premises, but because of its distribution, as there is only one room for activities for all the years of life; and the pantry is separated from the little house itself. Even so, the families appreciate it. "Despite being a small space, I am very happy because my child is part of an educational center where he receives excellent attention from the 'tías', who are very loving," says mother Yarisleinis Hernández Zamora. Yanet Rivero Pol, a local teacher, is pleased with the staff who look after her two-year-old son daily. "He gets all the help he needs from the teachers. They are responsible, reliable, and prepare my child for life. I am happy with their work," she says.

Despite being the territory with the most unsatisfied demand, only three children's homes are active in the provincial capital; two from the Education sector and one from the FAR. "We currently have an enrolment of 20 children, whom we look after with love. It is a source of great satisfaction for the mothers and fathers who work here to have this facility. It has had a positive impact, as it has solved the problem of childcare centers for a few workers. We respect the feeding schedules of the children. Their families are in charge of bringing their lunches and snacks, and we facilitate the nutrition process," says Maite Brito Labrada, head educator of this building, the result of an initiative of the workers of the Simón Bolívar mixed center.

She is concerned about the work material available to them because, she warns, it is scarce. "The school helps us with two notebooks and 150 sheets of paper, and the education department sends us some sheets and books, but it is not enough for all the children.

A PATH THAT DESERVES MORE HANDS

Las Tunas "has, as its main weakness, a lack of awareness on the part of the organizations that have the largest number of workers who are mothers, fathers or guardians of infants," says the head of the Early Childhood Department in the Provincial Directorate of Education. This apparent lack of will, she says, contrasts with the pressing needs in this area, even beyond the provincial capital, specifically in villages without educational centers for under-fives such as Omaja, Dumañuecos, Guayabal, or Vázquez.

It is precisely in these localities where the casitas would be of great help, he insists. The experience of what has been done in San Antonio, Jobabo, corroborates this. In that community, after prior analysis with its inhabitants, a children's house was established and is in perfect condition and functioning.

For those who create them, Unicef Cuba adds, the children's houses are not an expense, but an investment. As if the sensitivity to the needs of their collective and the community around them were not enough, the international organization underlines the economic benefit for their managers of providing their employees with a more pleasant working environment arising from the feeling of security that comes from knowing that the care, protection and comprehensive education of their children are guaranteed. It also facilitates greater punctuality in arriving and leaving work according to the established schedules.

The story of each family in Las Tunas that has benefited from the children's houses today is enough, in its individuality, to gain strength to continue pushing for the birth of more of these places. The experiences present us with children who are allowed to exploit their potential to the full, especially if we take into account how vital the first six years of life are in the formation and development of the personality. And the 'picture' will show more parents or guardians who are more relaxed about their work - and that is in the interests of society as a whole.