The number of Reference Centers for Social Assistance (CRASs) increased 44.9% between 2009 and 2013, changing from 5,499 in 4,032 municipalities to 7,986 in 5,437 municipalities. The Northeast Region concentrated the highest proportion of municipalities with CRASs (99.5%), followed by the Central-West (98.7%), North (97.6%), Southeast (96.4%) and South (96.1%) Regions.

The number of Community Centers, which support the social work with families developed in the CRASs, changed from less than one third of the municipalities in 2009 to more than half of the municipalities in 2013, highlighted by the Central-West Region (69.9% of coverage).

In 2013, 510 Day-Centers were registered (special equipment of social protection for disabled persons, senior citizens and their families) in 290 municipalities (5.2% of the total).

Also in 2013, 1,918 care units to teenagers in conflict with law were recorded, distributed along 1,240 municipalities (22.3%).

The existence of Institutional Shelters or Home-Houses, which provide special social protection services of high complexity, was reported by 34.4% of the municipalities in 2013. The equipment destined to shelter children and teenagers added up to 2,907 units, distributed along 1,613 municipalities (29%). Those dedicated to care for senior citizens were 1,780 units in 1,131 municipalities (20.3%).

The Supplement of Social Assistance of the Survey of Basic Municipal Information - MUNIC 2013 allowed updating information on the infrastructure, on the activities carried out in the headquarters of the municipal management agencies and on the existing structure to manage social assistance policies. Two municipalities were not structured to handle such policies and one municipality did not answer the questionnaire. As a consequence, the survey covered 5,567 municipalities. In addition to the structure of units of the network of socio-assistance services, the other information surveyed were: infrastructure of the management agency, human resources, legislation and management instruments, existence and structure of municipal councils, financial management, agreements and partnerships, and socio-assistance services.

The Supplement of Social Assistance of the Survey of Basic Municipal Information (MUNIC) 2013 is available on link

https://www.ibge.gov.br/english/estatistica/economia/perfilmunic/assistencia_social2013/default.shtm

In 2009, 5,499 Reference Centers for Social Assistance (CRASs) were reported to MUNIC. They were distributed along 4,032 municipalities, or 72.5% of the municipalities in Brazil. Among the Major Regions that year, the lowest proportion of this equipment was registered in the South Region (52.4%), followed by the Southeast (67.8%), North and Central-West (75.1% for both); the highest proportion was in the Northeast (88.7%).

In 2013, 7,968 CRASs were reported along 5,437 municipalities, which accounted for 97.6% of the municipalities. It represented an increase of 44.9% in the number of units, drawing near the universalization of the basic social protection prescribed by the 10-Year Plan of Social Assistance. The order among the Major Regions remained, though the coverage increased in all of them. The Northeast Region concentrated the highest proportion of municipalities with CRASs (99.5%), followed by the Central-West (98.7%), North (97.6%), Southeast (96.4%) and South (96.1%) Regions.

Reference Centers for Social Assistance are public municipal units located in areas with the biggest indexes of vulnerability and social risk, destined to articulate socio-assistance services in their territories, as well as to provide socio-assistance services, programs and projects of basic social protection to families. The capillarity in their territories makes the CRASs the main ports of entry to the Single System of Social Assistance.

Community Centers in more than half of municipalities in Brazil

Community Centers are other physical units under the scope of the basic social protection, aimed at supporting the social work with families developed by the Reference Centers for Social Assistance. Conviviality and tie strengthening services are provided to specific groups, like children, teenagers, youngsters and senior citizens, as well as their families. In 2013, there were 11,797 Community Centers distributed along 3,065 municipalities, which represented more than half of the municipalities in Brazil. In 2009, these centers were reported by less than one third of the municipalities. Among the regions, the municipalities of the Central-West stood out for having the highest proportion of Community Centers (69.9%), whereas the North Region recorded the lowest proportion (51.1%).

Community Centers for senior citizens were reported by 2,529 municipalities, 45.4% of the total, adding up to 3,861 units of this equipment. On the other hand, 5,971 Community Centers for children and teenagers were reported by 2,082 municipalities, 37.3% of the total.

Youth Centers added up to 1,914 units spread along 909 municipalities (16.3% of the total), including 1,471 public centers and 443 under agreement.

Number of Specialized Reference Centers for Social Assistance increases 79.9% between 2009 and 2013

The number of Specialized Reference Centers for Social Assistance (CREASs) increased 79.9% between 2009 and 2013. MUNIC 2009 showed the existence of 1,239 centers like this, distributed along 1,116 municipalities (20.1% of the total). In 2013, 2,229 CREASs were reported, distributed along 2,032 municipalities (36.5%). The Northeast posted the highest proportion of municipalities with this equipment (45.6%), followed by the Central-West (43.3%), North (39.8%), Southeast (31.4%) and South (25.9%) Regions.

CREASs are public units, either municipal, state or regional-managed, aimed at providing specialized and continued services, on a free basis, to individuals and families under situation of personal or social risk, by violation of rights or contingency, who request specialized intervention of special social protection. CREASs can provide services to families, teenagers, in order to enforce correctional measures, disabled persons, senior citizens and their families, among others.

2.8% of municipalities with Specialized Centers for Street Population

Specialized Reference Centers for Street Population (Centros POP) are other units under the scope of special social protection of medium complexity of the Single System of Social Assistance (SUAS). Public and state-run units of reference providing specialized assistance to adult street population, 175 Centros POP were revealed by MUNIC 2013, distributed along 154 municipalities (2.8% of the total). These figures were consistent with the short period since the beginning of the implementation of such units, as well as with the fact that they were particularly meant for large cities, as one of the key characteristics of the street population is their prevalence in major urban centers.

Comparing the number of Centros POP in 2009 and 2013 was not possible, as these centers were proposed by Decree no. 7,053, from December 23, 2009. As a consequence, 2013 was the first year to collect data on these units.

Centers of special social protection for disabled persons and senior citizens were available in 5.2% of the municipalities.

Day-Centers were other units of medium complexity, created to provide special social protection services to disable persons, senior citizens and their families. In 2013, 510 Day-Centers were registered, either public or under agreement, in 290 municipalities (5.2% of the total). The Southeast was the region with the highest coverage, though restricted to 9.1% of its municipalities only. The Southeast was followed by the South Region (5.5%), the Central-West (4.7%) and, lastly, by the North and the Northeast (2.7% and 2.2%, respectively).

Care units for teenagers in conflict with law (Probation and Provision of Community Services) reached 1,918 units in 2013, distributed along 1,240 municipalities (22.3%). The Southeast hit a coverage of 35.4% of its municipalities, followed by the South Region (27.9%). The Central-West and North Regions recorded indexes of 19.9% and 15.8%, respectively. The Northeast was the region with the lowest percentage, as only 8.6% of its municipalities counted with this type of unit.

Equipment of special social protection of high complexity for children and teenagers in 29% of municipalities

Concerning the special social protection of high complexity, available physical units are destined to provide services of Institutional Sheltering and Residence Sheltering. Different types of equipment are used when providing Institutional Sheltering Services, destined to families and/or individuals with broken or weakened family ties in order to assure integral protection. Care provided through this service should be customized and supplied to small groups in order to favor family and community conviviality, as well as to use services available in the local community. Its target public includes a number of age groups and specific situations, encompassing children and teenagers, women in situation of violence, disabled adults, adults and their families, and senior citizens. Depending on the target public, this service could be provided in one or more of the following equipment: Home-Houses; Institutional Shelters; Short-Stay Houses; Inclusive Residences; and Long-Stay Institutions for Senior Citizens.

In 2013, Institutional Shelters or Home-Houses were reported by 34.4% of the municipalities. The proportion was higher in the Southeast, reaching 50.5% of its municipalities. The South and Central-West Regions stood also above the national average, hitting percentages of 47.2% and 44.3%, respectively. The North stood below the national average, covering 21.3% of its municipalities and the Northeast recorded the lowest percentage, counting with these equipment in 11.5% of its municipalities only.

Institutional Shelters and Home-Houses destined to shelter children and teenagers added up to 2,907 units, distributed along 1,613 municipalities (29%) in all the Federation Units. The proportion of municipalities counting with Institutional Shelters or Home-Houses for children and teenagers was 19.3% in the North, 8.4% in the Northeast, 42.5% in the Southeast, 43.7% in the South and 31.3% in the Central-West.

Concerning senior citizens, the percentage of municipalities with Institutional Shelters or Home-Houses targeted at this public was 20.3% or 1,780 units distributed along 1,131 municipalities in all the Federation Units. In the North Region, 51 units were located in 33 municipalities (7.3% of the total in the region). They were 170 in 108 municipalities in the Northeast (6% of the municipalities in the Northeast). These units were in 34.8% of the municipalities of the Southeast, in 22.5% of the South, and in 30.4% of the Central-West.

Few municipalities count with Institutional Shelters and Home-Houses for street population, disabled persons and women

Only 5.4% of the municipalities reported to count with Institutional Shelters or Home-Houses for the street population: 482 units distributed along 300 municipalities, except for the states of Amazonas, Roraima, Amapá and Maranhão, which reported to count with no equipment. The proportion was more significant in the Southeast (10%), consistent with the high population of its municipalities. In the South and Central-West Regions, 6% and 6.2% of the municipalities, respectively, provided such equipment for this specific public. The lowest indexes were registered in the North (1.8%) and in the Northeast (1.3%).

Institutional Shelters or Home-Houses for disabled persons were available in 223 municipalities (4% of the total), which added up to 387 units of these equipment. By counting with these equipment in 7.7% of its municipalities, the Southeast stood out, whereas the proportion was only 0.5% in the Northeast. No equipment was reported by any municipality in the states of Acre, Amazonas, Roraima, Maranhão, Piauí, Alagoas and Sergipe.

Considering the targeted public, institutional sheltering units for women were those with the smallest recurrence: 192 units distributed along 152 municipalities (2.7% of the total) in Brazil. Among the regions, on one side was the North, in which only 2% (nine, in total) of the municipalities counted with these equipment and, on the other side, was the Southeast (3.8% or 45 municipalities). The states of Amazonas, Roraima and Amapá did not count with these equipment. Unlike in 2009, the Federal District counted with one unit.