O Estatuto da Criança e do Adolescente e a Política de Assistência Social: Reflexões sobre o direito à proteção social (Statute of Children and Adolescents and Social Assistance policy: thinking about the right to social protection)

The article presents a reflection on the right to social protection. The objective is to present aspects of social protection for children and adolescents based on legal advances and the National Social Assistance Policy. The arguments presented are based on bibliographic data and law No. 8742/93 updated by law No. 12435/2011 - Organic Law on Social Assistance and law No. 8,069, of July 13, 1990 - the Statute of Children and Adolescents. The text is organized in three parts, in the first the concept of citizenship and democracy is presented, followed by the debate on social protection, having as reference Esping-Andersen and Palier (2011), emphasizing the importance of the state function for guaranteeing rights. In the third part of the text, the social assistance policy and its historical and contemporary relationship with the guarantee of the rights of children and adolescents are analyzed. Finally, it points to the conjuncture of investment cuts in social policies and attack on social rights in a context of fiscal adjustments implemented since 2016.