Family Care System in Cuba benefits approximately 67,000 people in the country

HAVANA, Cuba, August 15 (ACN) The Family Care System (SAF by its Spanish acronym) program, conceived by Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro to maintain establishments for the feeding and socialization of socially disadvantaged older adults, currently benefits some 67,000 people in Cuba.

It also serves people with disabilities or in situations of social vulnerability, and others with insufficient income and without family members, Grettel Portales Perez, Director General of Services at the Ministry of Domestic Trade (MINCIN by its Spanish acronym), explained to the Granma newspaper.

According to Portales Perez, from 2024 to mid-2025 there was an eight % increase, caused in part by the increasing aging population and economic and financial limitations.

She recalled that the criteria for determining SAF beneficiaries are established by the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, which considers people with economic vulnerability, in addition to evaluating health conditions and physical limitations due to disabilities, including older adults without family support who require permanent care.

In Cuba, there is a network of 1,453 gastronomic establishments, comprised of grassroots business units, regulated by Decree 28 or Decree-Law 34.

These establishments are present in all 168 municipalities, as they belong to the locally subordinated Commerce and Gastronomy enterprises.

The official recognized the crucial role of social workers in attracting and submitting proposals for evaluation by local governments, which in turn serve, require, and integrate the economic stakeholders involved in the program's operation.

The main challenge facing the SAF service, according to the director, is achieving the improvement envisioned for the program by providing comprehensive, quality services that combine preparation, socialization, and a pleasant stay, medical participation, and the integration of economic stakeholders based on the program's needs, as well as the engagement of community stakeholders.