Secretaría Nacional de Niñez, Adolescencia y Familia

What Secretaría Nacional de Niñez, Adolescencia y Familia does

Secretaría Nacional de Niñez, Adolescencia y Familia (SENNIAF) is a decentralized public institution of the Government of Panama, established by Law No. 14 of January 23, 2009, with the exclusive mandate to coordinate, articulate, execute, and monitor comprehensive protection policies for the rights of children, adolescents, and families nationwide. The agency serves vulnerable populations including children in state-run shelters, victims of physical and sexual abuse, unaccompanied migrant minors (notably across the Darien route), children with intellectual disabilities in protective facilities, adolescents in conflict with the law, and families at risk of disintegration. Its core service portfolio is organized around four technical directorates (Prevention and Preventive Social Services; Articulation for Integral Protection; National Adoptions; Special Rights Protection) and more than a dozen social programs covering foster care (Familia Acogente), family strengthening, child labor eradication, sexual abuse prevention, and support for pregnant adolescents.

SENNIAF's operational technology centers on the Children First Software (CFS) digital platform, implemented in partnership with the international organization Both Ends Believing (BEB) under a cooperation agreement catalyzed by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. CFS captures comprehensive digital profiles of children in protection and enables real-time monitoring across all supervised centers — a novel method architecture that allows the government to digitally track every child under its care. The institution supervises 51-52 protection, school-assistance, and nutrition centers nationwide, coordinates with the judiciary on child welfare cases, and maintains 24-hour reporting hotlines (6378-3466 and 311) plus orientation services (6378-7876). Geographic footprint includes the central headquarters at Avenida México in Panama City, an office in Edificio Miramar, a regional office reopened in San Miguelito in November 2021, and a new Specialized Attention Center under development in Farfán, Arraiján, designed to house approximately 30 at-risk girls and adolescents.

The agency's business model is non-commercial: it is fully funded through Panama's national budget ($8 million allocated for 2025 operations, of which 95.5% was already spent as of early 2026), with no fees charged for protective social services. Go-to-market is direct government service delivery via institutional offices, regional offices, hotlines, and supervision of NGO-operated centers. The institution is currently navigating a documented crisis: it has had seven directors over five years since 2021, including the appointment of Lilibeth Cárdenas Chanis on March 6, 2026 as the fourth director during this period. Strategic priorities going forward include completing the digitalization of case management, expanding regional service delivery, scaling the Foster Family program through new NGO agreements, and addressing budget constraints that have left no investment funds available for capital projects.

Name

Secretaría Nacional de Niñez, Adolescencia y Familia

Legal name

Secretaría Nacional de Niñez, Adolescencia y Familia

Website

https://senniaf.gob.pa

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

SENNIAF is Panama's decentralized government agency, established by Law No. 14 of 2009, exclusively mandated to coordinate and execute child, adolescent, and family protection policies. It supervises 51-52 national protection centers and serves vulnerable minors, abuse victims, and migrant children.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Child Protection Services

NAICS

Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support (921)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAIAAAB

Central Government Policy, Strategy & Performance (incl. OMB-style functions)

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Central/Federal Government Administration

Keywords

• Child protection services
• Social welfare programs
• Foster family services
• Adoption services
• Child rights advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Calidonia

HQ country

Panama

HQ region

Latin America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Technology or R&D

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

SENNIAF is a decentralized public institution of the State of Panama that coordinates, articulates, executes, and monitors comprehensive protection policies for children, adolescents, and families. The agency directly delivers prevention, foster care, adoption, shelter supervision, and abuse-response services through four technical directorates and ten national programs, while overseeing 51-52 protection, school-assistance, and nutrition centers operated by partner NGOs and religious organizations. Services are free to beneficiaries and accessed through institutional offices, regional offices, and 24-hour reporting hotlines.

Product overview

Secretaría Nacional de Niñez, Adolescencia y Familia (SENNIAF) is a decentralized public institution responsible for coordinating, articulating, executing, and monitoring policies for the integral protection of children's and adolescents' rights in Panama. The institution operates as a service-oriented government agency organized around four main technical directions: Dirección de Atención y Servicios Sociales Preventivos, Dirección de Articulación para la Protección Integral, Dirección Nacional de Adopciones, and Dirección de Protección Especial de Derechos. The agency delivers social programs including Familia Acogente (foster care), Fortalecimiento Familiar (family strengthening), Atención Preventiva (preventive care), Medidas Reeducativas (re-educational measures), Convivencia Familiar (family coexistence), Prevención y Erradicación del Trabajo Infantil (child labor prevention), and specialized programs addressing abuse, violence, and support for pregnant teenagers. The institution also maintains regional offices for decentralized service delivery and provides resources including the 'Libro de Ana' educational material.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dirección de Atención y Servicios Sociales Preventivos Government technical directorate responsible for preventive social services, including training workshops and family-support programs such as 'Trabajar y Aprender en Familia', targeting children, adolescents, and families across Panama.
• Dirección de Articulación para la Protección Integral Technical directorate responsible for coordinating integral protection measures, including supervision of protection centers, monitoring of shelters, and promotion of rights for children and adolescents.
• Dirección Nacional de Adopciones National directorate responsible for managing and processing adoption procedures for children and adolescents in Panama.
• Dirección de Protección Especial de Derechos Technical directorate focused on special protection measures for the rights of children and adolescents in vulnerable situations.
• Programa Familia Acogente Foster family program providing temporary family-based care for children and adolescents in vulnerable conditions who require protection, offering them a safe family environment as an alternative to institutional shelter placement.
• Programa de Fortalecimiento Familiar Family strengthening program aimed at developing family capacities through development programs, projects, and support actions to prevent family disintegration and protect children's rights within their families.
• Programa de Atención Preventiva Preventive attention program focused on early intervention to avoid risk situations for children and adolescents through community-based prevention services.
• Programa de Medidas Reeducativas Re-educational measures program providing socio-educational interventions for adolescents in conflict with the law in Panama.
• Programa de Convivencia Familiar Program promoting healthy family coexistence and supporting family reunification when appropriate for children and adolescents in or returning from the protection system.
• Programa de Prevención y Erradicación del Trabajo Infantil Program focused on preventing and eradicating child labor through awareness campaigns and educational activities for children, families, and communities in Panama.
• Programa de Promoción de Derechos Program promoting awareness of children's and adolescents' rights across Panama, including the Children's Consultative Council (Consejo Consultivo de la Niñez y la Adolescencia).
• Programa de Supervisión y Monitoreo de Instituciones de Protección National program for the supervision and monitoring of protection institutions and shelters, verifying compliance with Executive Decree 404 standards across the 51 supervised centers nationwide.
• Programa de Abuso y Violencia Sexual Program addressing the prevention, detection, and response to sexual abuse and violence against children and adolescents, including awareness talks, guidance on abuse prevention, and specialized intervention protocols.
• Programa de Adolescentes Embarazadas y Madres Adolescentes Program providing specialized support and protective services for pregnant adolescents and teenage mothers across Panama.
• 24-Hour Child Protection Reporting Hotline Round-the-clock emergency hotline service (6378-3466 and 311) for reporting child protection cases, complemented by the orientation hotline (6378-7876) for guidance and case referrals, accessible nationwide in Panama.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 6,000 families reached through abuse prevention and family strengthening programs
• +2 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

24 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Both Ends Believing (BEB)coreTechnology or Integration · 4 August 2021BEB, an international organization founded in January 2010, partnered with SENNIAF and the Republic of Panama to implement the Children First Software (CFS) platform for digitalizing child protection case management. This partnership arose from a multi-year cooperation agreement with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (CIDH/OEA). The platform enables the government to capture comprehensive digital profiles of children in care, allowing real-time monitoring and decision-making for each child's protection and family reunification.
• UNICEF PanamacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNICEF Panama is listed as a partner organization on SENNIAF's official website footer links, indicating ongoing collaborative work for children's rights in Panama.
• Pan American Health Organization (OPS/OMS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOPS/OMS partnered with SENNIAF to deliver a Psychosocial Skills Development and Self-Care Workshop to over 30 caregivers of children and adolescents from different protection centers. The workshop addressed psychosocial skills development, psychological first aid, self-care, and coping strategies under stress.
• Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (CIDH/OEA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCIDH served as the catalyst for the BEB-SENNIAF digitalization partnership through a multi-year cooperation agreement. The CIDH alignment with Panama's child protection vision enabled the implementation of the Children First Software platform.
• Aldeas Infantiles SOS PanamacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSENNIAF and Aldeas Infantiles SOS Panama signed a cooperation agreement and aligned processes to improve protection services for children. Aldeas SOS is one of the major NGO administrators of protection centers supervised by SENNIAF, serving children and adolescents in the national system.
• ACNUR Americas (UNHCR)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerACNUR (UNHCR) participates with SENNIAF in reviewing migration protocols for unaccompanied and separated children (NNA) on the migrant route, particularly through the Darien jungle. Collaboration focuses on ensuring protection and rights of migrant minors entering Panama.
• RET AmericaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRET America collaborates with SENNIAF and other organizations to review protocols for migrant children and adolescents, particularly those crossing the Darien jungle.
• ONPAR (unknown full name)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerONPAR participates with SENNIAF in reviewing protocols for the protection of children and adolescents on migration routes.
• Ministerio de Desarrollo Social (MIDES)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMIDES is a key government partner of SENNIAF, co-leading the National Shelter Supervision and Monitoring Committee. The Minister of MIDES chairs SENNIAF's Board of Directors. MIDES and SENNIAF coordinate on shelter monitoring visits and follow-up on abuse complaints.
• National Aeronaval Service (SENAN)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSENAN's Aeronaval service provides aerial transportation support for SENNIAF staff to reach remote areas such as Isla del Rey and Bocas del Toro for prevention activities and child protection interventions.
• Instituto Nacional de la Mujer (INAMU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerINAMU collaborates with SENNIAF on violence prevention initiatives, including the joint organization of the national forum 'Realidad de la Violencia contra las Ninas y Adolescentes: Una Verdad No Contada' and coordination on cases involving violence against women and children.
• Red Nacional de Apoyo a la Ninez y Adolescencia en Panama (Rednaniap)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRednaniap participates in the National Shelter Supervision and Monitoring Committee alongside SENNIAF and MIDES. The network contributes civil society expertise to interinstitutional monitoring visits of protection centers nationwide.
• SENADIS (National Disability Service)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSENADIS participates in interinstitutional shelter supervision visits to verify proper certification of children with disabilities and ensure accessibility and appropriate care for this population.
• Ministerio de Desarrollo Social - Direccion de Bienes RevertidosminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Reverted Assets Unit of the Ministry of Economy and Finance transferred facilities to SENNIAF for use as a Specialized Attention Center for girls and adolescents at risk in Farfan, Arraijan.
• Benemerito Cuerpo de Bomberos de PanamaminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFire department participates in interinstitutional shelter supervision visits contributing safety and emergency preparedness assessments to the monitoring process.
• SINAPROCminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSINAPROC (National Civil Protection System) participates in interinstitutional shelter supervision visits as part of the National Shelter Supervision and Monitoring Committee.
• Tribunal Electoral de PanamaminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerElectoral Tribunal participates in interinstitutional shelter supervision visits to verify birth certificate documentation and civil registration status of children in protection centers.
• MEDUCA (Ministry of Education)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerMEDUCA participates in shelter supervision visits to verify school enrollment and educational status of children in protection, ensuring access to education for minors in the system.
• Organismo Internacional de la Ninez (OEA/IIN)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe OAS Inter-American Children's Institute is listed as a partner organization on SENNIAF's official website, indicating collaborative work on child rights policies at the regional level.
• United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) PanamaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNDP Panama is listed as a partner on SENNIAF's official website footer, indicating participation in development and child protection initiatives.
• Fundacion Valora-teminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFundacion Valora-te is listed as a partner on SENNIAF's official website footer, indicating collaboration on child and adolescent welfare programs.
• National Committee for Natural Environmental Affairs (CONAMA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCONAMA is listed as a partner organization on SENNIAF's official website footer, indicating environmental and sustainability-related collaboration.
• 311 Emergency SystemminorOthersThe 311 national emergency system is linked as a partner for receiving child protection reports and coordinating emergency responses for children and adolescents in danger.
• Three NGOs (specific names not disclosed)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSENNIAF signed cooperation agreements with three NGOs to strengthen the Foster Family program (Familias Acogentes), expanding the network of families available to provide temporary care for children in the protection system.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Ministerio de Desarrollo Social (MIDES) Panama: MIDES is the parent ministry that chairs SENNIAF's board and co-leads the National Shelter Supervision Committee; it is a broader incumbent in Panamanian social policy that overlaps with SENNIAF's mandate.

Direct peers

• CONAPINA - Comisión Nacional para la Niñez y Adolescencia (Guatemala): Guatemala's CONAPINA coordinates national child protection policy and oversight of shelters and foster programs, mirroring SENNIAF's coordination and supervision role in Central America.
• ICBF - Instituto Colombiano de Bienestar Familiar: Colombia's national family welfare institute is the closest functional peer to SENNIAF, responsible for coordinating child protection, family strengthening, foster care, adoption, and shelter supervision across Colombia through a decentralized network of regional offices.
• CONAF - Consejo Nacional de la Niñez y Adolescencia (Peru variant: sistema de protección): Peru's Ministry of Women and Vulnerable Populations (MIMP) runs the national child and adolescent protection system with specialized programs for shelter, foster care, and abuse response — analogous to SENNIAF's mandate.
• SIPINNA - Sistema Nacional de Protección Integral de Niñas, Niños y Adolescentes (Mexico): Mexico's SIPINNA is the federal system coordinating child protection policies across ministries and states, functionally comparable to SENNIAF's inter-institutional coordination model.

Emerging players

• Both Ends Believing (BEB): BEB is the technology partner that built and deployed the Children First Software platform used by SENNIAF to digitally track children in protection — a critical peer in the digital case-management stack.
• UNICEF Panama Country Office: UNICEF is a core strategic partner of SENNIAF and a peer in the sense of delivering child-rights programming, technical assistance, and monitoring frameworks alongside the national government.
• Aldeas Infantiles SOS Panama: Aldeas Infantiles SOS operates several of the protection centers supervised by SENNIAF and is a direct counterpart in delivering foster care and residential services to children in the national system.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCNUb33Odwu3GBpRaUKyNOsw
• Facebookfacebook.com/senniafPanama
• Instagraminstagram.com/senniafpanama
• Xx.com/Senniaf

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Secretaría Nacional de Niñez, Adolescencia y Familia