Los servicios sociales a la infancia y la percepción de estigmatización en el País de Gales, los Países Bajos y Cataluña

This paper compares the provision of child welfare services in the Wales, the Netherlands and Catalonia, and the perception of stigma associated with such services. In all three countries the behavioral problems of children and rearing difficulties of parents were major reasons for entry into child welfare services. In Wales and Catalonia material and marital problems were also major reasons for entry. In the Netherlands and Catalonia preventive family, services were more often provided than in the Wales, while material help was more often provided in Wales and Catalonia than in the Netherlands. Residential services were most prevalent in the Netherlands, while foster care predominated in the Wales. Daycare services were most often provided in Catalonia. As for the perception of stigma we found that both the service providers and the service users in all three countries most strongly feared negative qualifications concerning foster and residential services, while health related and preventive family services were perceived as services that empower users the most