Punt de Referència

Punt de Referència is a non-profit association based in Catalonia, Spain, dedicated to supporting vulnerable young people — particularly those who have been under the guardianship of the Generalitat de Catalunya and who lack a family support network — as they transition to adult life. Founded in 1997, the organisation works with youth aged roughly 16 to 23 who are leaving or have left the child protection system. Its mission is to provide emotional stability, social and labour insertion, self-knowledge, knowledge of the environment, and documentary support through a combination of volunteer mentoring, housing programmes, and socio-educational accompaniment. The association describes itself as "impulsada des de la societat civil organitzada" (driven by organised civil society) and operates several core programmes. Its mentoring programme pairs volunteers with young people to offer a stable, trusting relationship. Its housing programme aims to provide "the warmth of a home" ("El caliu d'una llar"). A support and participation programme fosters shared struggles and community involvement. One of its flagship initiatives is the "Acull" programme, which recruits volunteers willing to host unaccompanied migrant youth aged 18 to 21, offering them a home and a support network rooted in the territory for nine months, with professional supervision of the relationship between the young person and the host family. In 2010, Punt de Referència was declared an Entity of Public Utility (Entitat d'Utilitat Pública) by the Catalan authorities, a recognition of its social contribution. The organisation relies on membership, donations, and volunteer engagement, inviting supporters to become members ("Fes-te'n soci") or mentors ("Fes mentoria"). It publishes a newsletter and maintains an active online presence to share reflections and in-depth content on accompanying youth in vulnerable situations. While it is not a commercial brand in the traditional sense, Punt de Referència operates as a social brand with a clear identity, programmes, and public-facing communications. Its work addresses a critical gap in the transition from care to independence, aiming to prevent social exclusion and offer young people the relational and practical resources they need to build autonomous adult lives.

Punt de Referència was created in 1997 as an association to offer accompaniment and support to vulnerable youth, primarily those under or formerly under the guardianship of the Generalitat de Catalunya who lack a family support network and must begin adult life after leaving the centres where they lived under guardianship. The organisation focuses on youth aged 16 to 23 in their emancipation process after exiting the child protection system, through one-to-one accompaniment by volunteers who carry out mentoring projects with these young people. Support is delivered through housing programmes, volunteer mentoring, and socio-educational support aimed at emotional stability, social and labour insertion, self-knowledge, knowledge of the environment, and documentary support. In 2010, the association was declared an Entity of Public Utility (Entitat d'Utilitat Pública). One of its main programmes is the 'Acull' programme, which seeks volunteers to accompany unaccompanied migrant youth. Through this programme, it aims to offer a home and a support network to unaccompanied migrant youth aged 18 to 21 who need a family reference rooted in the territory. The goal is to offer 'an opportunity for cohabitation' for nine months, which 'provides suitable accompaniment for young people who, given the difficulties of emancipation in the arrival territory, require comprehensive emotional and educational support'. The host person or families are also accompanied by a professional from the entity, who oversees and supervises the relationship between the young person and the volunteers.

• 2010

  Declared an Entity of Public Utility (Entitat d'Utilitat Pública).

• 1997

  Association Punt de Referència founded to support vulnerable youth leaving care.

Non-profit social entity providing accompaniment to youth leaving care, driven by organised civil society.

1. 1Inici - Punt de Referenciapuntdereferencia.org
2. 2Punt de Referència - Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Punt de Referència - Viquipèdiaca.wikipedia.org