Since the early 20th century, there has been concern with the future of the concept of poor childhood and the creation of public policies to assist it. In a period that precedes the formal insertion of the State in the formulation of these policies, we took as example the performance of Dr. Arthur Moncorvo Filho (1871-1944), who in the first four decades of last century promoted a great project of medical service and assistance to the children considered to be "materially and morally abandoned". Social protection to childhood was presented as a bastion of Brazil's insertion in the list of modern nations, in spite of the social contradictions that were becoming more extreme. Looking back at the past and rescuing the historicity of service policies, we confirmed the existence remote of an unprotected childhood. With this recollection, we intended to reflect upon how recurring has been the defense of social protection, whose unfolding in current policies have given psychology a prominence place.
childhood; Moncorvo Filho; vulnerability; social protection; historicity