The Regional Director for Solidarity and Social Security said today that "in the Azores we do not give up on our youngsters! Indeed, we believe that they are the future, not only because they will be tomorrow's adults, but also because we believe that youth has the potential of change required by the times we live in."

Moved by this "belief, the Azorean Government has been implementing a series of integrated policies that cover various governmental sectors with the purpose of promoting, supporting, preventing, encouraging and protection our children, our youngsters and their families."

Listing the various measures taken by the Government to support youngsters and children, Natércia Gaspar stress the Regional Network of Social Equipments and the responses created for the childhood and youth areas, the Parental Education and Family Integration projects and the "Coneta" (Connect) Project addressed at the prevention of filio-parental violence.

The Regional Director for Solidarity and Social Security spoke at the opening session of the conference "Adolescência nunca mais!!!..." (Adolescence never again!!!...) which is part of the Conference Cycle promoted by the Regional Directorate for Youth at the auditorium of the Ponta Delgada Nursing School.

Natércia Gaspar also considered the "importance of valuing and cherishing our children and youngsters in order to contribute to their healthy and harmonious development. Thus, they will be better prepared adults at all levels of life in society."

The government official mentioned that this "goals is of great importance if we take into account that the Azores are youngest region in the country, adding that "we must prepared the future for them and with them!".

For Natércia Gaspar, "family, being the first space of socialisation, plays a fundamental and irreplaceable role in the transmission of feelings of security and the sense of belonging." This role "cannot be transferred to any other person or entity, because nobody else will play it as well as our families play.

To conclude, the Regional Director praised the importance of the topic under discussion at this conference as "we all know that adolescence is the most striking and decisive stage of our lives. It is a stage of transition to adulthood, in which we discover our identity and define our personality."