Children and mapuche families in child protection professional intervention in Chile: tensions between the Rights paradigm and cultural belonging

Abstract

This paper addresses the need for an examination of the State’ s relationship with children in indigenous contexts as reflected in its policies and services. Based on the emergent findings of this research, racialised experiences of families in their contact with agencies, policies and child protection institutions in Chile are revealed as well as their place within the Rights paradigm discourse guiding the government’s design.
This analysis emerges from a doctoral research. It was a qualitative study that sought to explore the implication of gender in practitioners’ constructions of parenting in child protection services in Chile, in the Servicio Nacional de Menores, before its current reform in 2021 to become the new Servicio Mejor Niñez. The data collection was made through a review of 18 case files within three child protection services, data which was later deepened and complemented with 13 interviews with practitioners carrying out those intervention processes. Thus, significant findings were gathered to be discussed in light of a more comprehensive policy framework regarding the State’ contact with mapuche families through policies and services, as well as to interrogate their assigned place. This is to examine sources of contradiction and tensions from inside the dynamics of the frontline work with the intercultural and rights perspective as both enacted in policy frameworks with the focus on child protection and well- being.