Effectiveness of the Comprehensive Childhood Protection System for vulnerable mothers and children

To establish the effectiveness of the public benefits and services of the "Chile Grows with You" and "Protect Network" programs for socially vulnerable women and children in an urban community in the Metropolitan Region of Chile.

Descriptive study employing a questionnaire. The sample consisted of 132 mothers and their 133 infants, all grouped according to social vulnerability. Primary data were collected via a structured interview of the mothers and were complemented with institutional (secondary) data. Descriptive and associative analyses were performed.

The perception of social vulnerability by the professionals was low at the time of admission into the program. The effectiveness of the universal and specific benefits was low, with better results for the children than for the mothers. However, no significant differences were observed according to vulnerability. Another finding was the low access to specific benefits for children with psychosocial risk and psychomotor delay, especially in the most vulnerable group.

The results revealed a gap in the access to the benefits guaranteed by law. To overcome this situation, nurses must strengthen their skills in contextualized health practices and the comprehensive administration of interdisciplinary and intersectoral networks.