Florencio Varela, Argentina — Saturday, December 13. On a bright Saturday in mid-December, an extraordinary event unfolded not in a public football stadium but inside the walls of a unit of the Provincial Penitentiary Service in Florencio Varela, Argentina.
In articulation with the Game with Mum & Dad (GWMD) initiative and following the same objectives, the event was organised by ACiFaD, an Argentine association formed by women with detained family members that works to support families affected by imprisonment jointly with the NNAPES Network, a coalition of Latin American and Caribbean organisations advocating for the rights of children with a parent in prison.
At the core of such events is a simple idea: sport and play can be powerful to maintain and strengthen the bond between children and their parents in prison.
Sport as a bridge between children and imprisoned parents
Inside the Florencio Varela facility, some 20 children and their imprisoned parents stepped onto the field together, exchanging smiles and meaningful interaction in a context that is usually defined by walls and rules. Through football and other games and activities, events like this create a safe space where families can rediscover each other beyond the usual constraints of prison visits — a space for hugs, laughter and quality time together that, for many, had been long overdue.
An initiative responding to the needs of 217,000 children in Argentina
In Argentina, an estimated 217,000 children currently have a parent in prison, and about 700,000 have gone through this situation but there are no national policies or programs that address the issue even though the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child has urged the country to do so.
For children, the experience of separation can translate into anxiety, stigma and social marginalisation, with few structured programmes available to support them. This reality makes initiatives like this more than a symbolic gesture. Such events offer children and their parents rare opportunities for meaningful interaction in an environment where contact is usually limited and tightly regulated.
From Argentina to the region: plans for expansion
This GWMD parallel event in Latin America was made possible with the support of the UEFA Foundation for Children.
Efforts are being made to expand this model of good practice in more Latin American countries and beyond, in close coordination with local civil society groups and prison authorities. At every stop, the methodology will remain the same, always prioritising child participation and child safeguarding.
This initiative draws on the spirit and methodology of Game with Mum and Dad, a project originally developed in Italy by Bambinisenzasbarre and later expanded across Europe under COPE’s aegis, the project brings children onto prison grounds to play sport games with their parents, fostering moments that are often impossible in typical visiting environments.
