The struggle of social work: leaving no one behind

As a social worker, she feels a human and professional responsibility to bring to light the injustices we see every day that the system fails to resolve. Not to point fingers, but to shine a light where institutional darkness leaves families behind.

These past few days I've met several mothers with children who are about to become homeless. One of them has given me permission to share her story: a story of life, courage, and struggle. She is a mother of three who currently lives in an unaffordable rented room, where all four of them sleep in a tiny space. However, she doesn't give up: she seeks help, follows all the recommendations of social services, and wants to make this situation of social injustice public in the hope of finding a solution for herself and for the families who will be forced to sell.

With the current resources, however, she's hit a wall. When third-sector services try to refer her to a family shelter, they encounter an incomprehensible paradox: she cannot access the Palma shelter because she hasn't been registered as a resident for two months, but she also cannot access the shelter for people not registered in Palma because… she is registered as a resident in Palma. The result is as absurd as it is dangerous: she is left out of all the systems.

And here lies a second contradiction. Even if she met the registration requirement, family shelters have waiting lists. But when there are minors, "there are no places" is not an answer. It is an omission by the system. If one shelter is full, another is created, alternatives are sought, an emergency budget is allocated, or temporary accommodation is activated. Child protection cannot depend on a number.

State and regional legislation is clear: poverty cannot be a reason for separating minors or for institutional inaction. But when a mother has to choose between staying in an untenable room or living on the street with her children, the system is failing.

Added to all this is the structural reality: the price of housing. Mallorca is one of the most expensive areas in the entire country. Working families, single mothers, young people, the elderly: everyone competes for unaffordable rents. When housing becomes a speculative commodity, vulnerable families disappear from the map. Not because they don't want to rent, but because they can't afford even a room.

Vulnerability multiplies when we talk about women who are in the process of regularizing their immigration status. It's not a matter of origin, but of rights. The current design of resources excludes them precisely when they need protection the most.

This is not an isolated case. It is the result of a combination of factors: a housing law that does not guarantee the constitutional right, an immigration law that hinders integration, and a lack of public resources that forces the third sector to perform impossible balancing acts.

What we cannot accept is that the response is simply a waiting list. When there are minors involved, the system must be prepared. Flexible resources, emergency protocols, more public housing, and a larger budget. Doing so is not a luxury: it is an obligation.

Child protection is not only a legal obligation; it is an act of human dignity. When we care for the most vulnerable families, we strengthen the entire society.