Abinader creates National Residential Care Service for children and adolescents
Santo Domingo.- President Luis Abinader issued Decree No. 676-26, creating the National Residential Care Service (Senar), a decentralized institution attached to the Ministry of the Presidency (MINPRE) to strengthen the country’s system for protecting children and adolescents.
The new agency will manage and provide residential care programs for children and adolescents under protection measures, with services designed around their best interests and guided by the principles that residential placement should be exceptional and temporary.
Specialized residential care model
Under the decree, Senar will work in coordination with the National Council for Children and Adolescents (Conani), which will retain its role as the governing body of the National Protection System and will provide technical supervision of the new institution.
The residential system will apply specific criteria for separating and caring for children, taking into account factors such as age, sex, developmental stage, risk level and physical or mental health needs. The goal is to provide differentiated care through temporary homes and residential centers.
Senar will also coordinate with the Ministry of Public Health and the National Health Service (SNS) to ensure access to medical treatment, comprehensive health services and psychosocial rehabilitation.
New residential network to be developed by 2027
The decree establishes a Transition and Implementation Commission to oversee the creation and initial operation of Senar. The commission will include representatives from several government institutions, including MINPRE, Public Administration, Finance, Housing and Buildings, Justice, Public Health, SNS, Conani and Senar.
Among its responsibilities will be designing a national network of residential services and implementing a strategic plan to increase the system’s installed residential capacity by at least 30% by 2027.
Senar is scheduled to begin formal operations on January 1, 2027. The decree also establishes measures to ensure continuity of existing services and protect the legal status of case files and personnel during the transition.
The government said the new institution is intended to strengthen the State’s capacity to provide specialized, safe and dignified care to children and adolescents in vulnerable situations.
