Uses of Time

Barcelona City Council’s "Families helping out service" aims to provide help to families who, due to different temporary circumstances (health reasons, work-life balance, and so on), struggle with a lack of social or family support or have financial difficulties and need childcare help. They are offered the support of a local family who, during this period, helps with childcare needs.

The types of support include: 

• Complementary support: the collaborating family supports the child’s family by complementing them.
• Arranged support: as agreed upon by the helping family and the family seeking support.
• Temporary support: it could be hours, days, short periods of time (reassessed every six months).
• Local support: the child’s usual social environment is maintained.

This ongoing project works to publicise the service, increase the number of new helping families, find the right match, check in with participants and wrap up the arrangements.

In 2024, 79 collaborating families participated, 57 children were cared for, and 722 stays or collaborations were provided. Seventy-eight percent of the requests came from single-parent families (75% women). Sixty-eight percent of the people who requested the service did so for work reasons.

Time impacts:

• Facilitating work-life balance.
• Reducing unpaid workload and supporting caregiving.
• Reducing unwanted loneliness and/or strengthening social support networks.
   

More information:
Website Families helping out service (in Catalan)