Familias en Acción (Families in Action) (2001-)

Conditional Cash Transfer Programmes

Date

2001-

Web

Description

Conditional transfer programme (CCT), which since 2006 is part of a joint system of various components of the public offer called "Red Unidos" (formerly "Red Juntos"). In 2007 the programme was expanded to all urban centers of the country,where conditions of access to health services and education of vulnerable populations are different from other municipalities, which is why the amounts of the subsidies changed. In addition, since 2007, the programme targeted indigenous communities in Colombia to be beneficiaries of these subsidies. As a complementary strategy , in 2008 the process of banking for families to be linked to the financial system began. In 2011, the programme redesigned the targeting criteria, transfers amounts by geographic zones and educational level, and the exit rules. The law 1,532 (2012) states that amounts and transfers assignation criterias will be reviewed anually, and will not be lower than the CPI of low incomes. Also creates the Monetary Subsidies Information System. The programme takes into account families displaced by violence.

Characteristics

Target population

Households in poverty and vulnerability situation (SISBEN level I), in condition of displacement or indigenous with children under 18 years old.

Geographic scale

National

Targeting method

1) Geographic (applies only in cases when, because funding restrictions, all families at SISBEN- Level 1 are not covered)
2) Exclusion of areas with insufficient supply (banks, financial institutions and health and education infrastructure to meet new demand
3) Categorical: Displaced households, indigenous families, poor families
4) Proxy means test: Families at SISBEN Level 1.

Instrument of selection

1) System for the Identification of Potential Social Programme Beneficiaries (SISBEN).
2) Unique Registry of Victims (RUV)
3) Census for indigenous population

Registry of recipients

Information System of Families in Action (SIFA)

Exit strategies

Loss of eligibility. Recertification every 4 years.

Comments

The beneficiaries that want to enter the program Social Income would receive COP $3,600,000, but must fulfill the corresponsabilities of Familias en Acción.
The Más Familias en Acción program operates as a gateway to the Red Unidos, which is a comprehensive and coordinated intervention strategy that provides family and community support to the families targeted by its intervention and facilitates the access of its beneficiaries to the offer of social services by the State.

Institutionality

Legal framework

Law 1,532 (2012)

Responsible organization(s)

Presidency of the Republic. The National Department of Planning (DNP) is in charge of defining the System for the Identification of Potential Social Programme Beneficiaries (SISBEN) and guiding the municipalities for their implementation.

Executing organization(s)

Department of Social Prosperity (DPS)

Responsible organization(s) for the registry of recipients

Department of Social Prosperity (DPS)

Source of funding

Government of Colombia, World Bank (WB), Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)

1) Bono de nutrición (Nutrition subsidy)

Recipient(s)

Children below 6 years old

Mode of transfer

Transfer according to recipients or households characteristics. The programme considers multiple poverty index level of the city or town of residence and age of children.

Mode of delivery

Savings account deposit (90% of families approx.), cash withdrawal and days of massive delivery of cash.

Periodicity of delivery

Bimonthly

Recipient of the transfer

Mother

Maximum per household

One transfer per family independent of the number of children in the household

Conditionalities

Health: all children in the household must have 100% attendance to growth and development controls planned by the health center to which they are affiliated.
Training and information: Mothers and members of beneficiary households, are committed to attend the meeting and training spaces and care conferences scheduled by the municipality.

Sanctions

In case of three continuous breaches or four during a year, the benefit will be suspended.

Comments

Amount

Between COP $63.525 and COP $74.100 /month per child in 2015. See selected figures

2) Bono de educación (Education subsidy)

Recipient(s)

Children between 4 and 18 years old.

Mode of transfer

Transfer according to recipient's or household's characteristics. The programme considers the size of the city of residence and age of children.

Mode of delivery

Savings account deposit (90% of families approx.), cash withdrawal and days of massive delivery of cash.

Periodicity of delivery

Bimonthly (during 10 months,while the children attend the educational institutions).

Recipient of the transfer

Mother

Maximum per household

Maximum 3 children per family. The level of kinder is not considered for the ceiling payment and is delivered according to availability of supply.

Conditionalities

Education: Regular school attendance of the children (at least 80%). Children can not fail more than two school years.
Training and information: Mothers and members of beneficiary households, are committed to attend the meeting and training spaces and care conferences scheduled by the municipality.

Sanctions

In case of three continuous breaches or four during a year, the benefit will be suspended.

Comments

Depending on the region, the amount of the benefit and the age of elegibility varies. In most of the municipalities of the country, the benefit is given to children under 7 years old; in 16 big cities, the delivery is made to children up to 11 years old. In cases of school lag, 10th grade students can be between 18 and 19 years of age, and 11th grade students can be up to 20 years of age.

Amount

Minimum amount of COP $10.600 and maximum of COP $58.225 monthly in 2015. See data Excel format.

Do Conditional Cash Transfers Reinforce the Traditional Gendered Division of Labor?

Author

Marcillo E., Mullally C., Reimão M.E. and Useche P.

Date

2021

Publication info

Working paper of the Social Science Research Network

Link