Barcelona’s Nou Barris district has opened a new Socio-Educational Intervention Service (SIS) at Plaça Gabriel Alomar, adding another local support point for families with young children. The service started operating in early May and will work with 25 vulnerable families, with a focus on early childhood development.
Deputy Mayor for Social Rights Raquel Gil said the City Council is focused on prevention and full support for families in vulnerable situations, with parenting and child welfare at the centre of social policy. The aim is to help children grow up in safe, healthy environments with the chance to develop fully.
Sonia Fuertes, Commissioner for Social Rights, said Barcelona is reinforcing support for families during a key stage in children’s development, especially the 0 to 3 age group, according to the Barcelona Municipal Social Services Institute. The city says it is continuing to expand local services so that rights, opportunities and social cohesion reach neighbourhoods across Barcelona.
The Nou Barris SIS mainly serves families, children and adolescents from Nou Barris, Horta-Guinardó and Sant Andreu. Families are referred by basic and specialist social services, and the work is coordinated across different teams. To qualify, a family must have at least one child aged 0 to 6 years, including the gestational period, and support is expected to last around two years per family.
The centre uses an interdisciplinary team made up of social educators, a psychologist and a social integrator. Support can be individual, family-based, group-based or community-based, and it takes place in the centre, at home and in the local area. The service also offers daily support around care, nutrition, hygiene and health. For more Barcelona neighbourhood coverage, see our Community page and Sport page.
Barcelona’s Municipal Institute of Social Services has been building its own SIS model in recent years to meet local needs. The city now has six Socio-Educational Family Spaces for children aged 0 to 3 and their families, plus two municipal open centres, SIS Sant Martí and SIS Les Corts-Sants. There are also 28 other centres run by 20 social entities, giving a combined total of 1,080 places for children and adolescents aged 3 to 16 and their families, and support for 5,000 children and adolescents across the city.
The new Nou Barris centre occupies a 375 square metre ground-floor space opposite Plaça Gabriel Alomar. Barcelona City Council bought the premises in late 2024 and fully renovated it to support parental and emotional skills in families with children. The layout uses open-plan space, with wood and textiles helping to create a warmer setting for the work.
Originally published by Barcelona City Council Press Room. Read the original press release.
