Perfil e trajetórias: um estudo sobre crianças e adolescentes das Unidades de Acolhimento Institucional de Minas Gerais com base no Censo Suas (2018 – 2024)

Abstract

The present study analyzed institutional care for children and adolescents in Minas Gerais between 2018 and 2024, based on SUAS Census microdata and considering the Intermediate Geographic Regions as the territorial unit of analysis. The study aimed to characterize the sociodemographic profile of children and adolescents in care, describe their institutional trajectories, and examine the provision conditions of Institutional Shelter Units, relating these elements to the regional inequalities that shape social assistance policy in the state. Using a quantitative and descriptive-analytical approach, the research was organized into six analytical axes: service provision and unit capacity; profile by sex and age group; length of stay in institutional care; vulnerability profiles; family reintegration processes (biological family, extended family, and foster family); and infrastructure and work instruments, with emphasis on the use of the Political-Pedagogical Project, the Individual Care Plan, and the Individual Record. The findings revealed strong territorial heterogeneity, including the concentration of units in specific regional centers, significant differences in occupancy rates, high proportions of adolescents in care, a considerable prevalence of prolonged stays, and the concentration of cases involving multiple vulnerabilities in certain regions. Variations in family reintegration and adoption rates were also identified, suggesting that the ability to ensure timely exit pathways depends on coordination among the social assistance network, the justice system, and intersectoral services. The study concludes that institutional care remains a central resource within the High-Complexity Social Protection system; however, in many contexts, it still operates under strained conditions and remains misaligned with the principle of being an exceptional and temporary measure. This highlights the need for territorially differentiated funding strategies, the strengthening of community-based services, and improvements in the planning and monitoring of the trajectories of children and adolescents in care.