Legal reframing of child support and educational continuity: academic impacts, pedagogical support,  
and a proposal for conditional extension  
Bryan Hernán Puente Chaquinga  
Johnny Segundo Campoverde López  
Josué Bonilla Tenesaca  
Volumen: 18  
Recepción: 03/06/2026  
Número: 3  
Trimestre: julio-septiembre  
Aprobado: 17/09/2026  
Año: 2026  
Artículo de revisión  
Legal reframing of child support and educational continuity: academic impacts,  
pedagogical support, and a proposal for conditional extension  
Reordenamiento jurídico de la pensión alimenticia y continuidad educativa:  
afectaciones académicas, acompañamiento pedagógico y propuesta de  
ampliación condicionada  
Bryan Hernán Puente Chaquinga1 (bhpuentec@ube.edu.ec) (https://orcid.org/0009-  
0005-5176-8719)  
Johnny  
Segundo  
Campoverde  
López2  
(jscampoverdel@ube.edu.ec)  
(https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0108-4755)  
Josué Bonilla Tenesaca3 (jrbonillat@ube.edu.ec) (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6748-  
2345)  
Abstract  
This study analyzes the relationship between adverse child-support-related legal  
situations and potential conditions of socioeducational vulnerability among students who  
have participated as beneficiaries in judicial proceedings, particularly when facing  
difficulties concerning the determination, adequacy, payment, and continuity of child  
support. A judicial proceeding does not, by itself, constitute an educational impairment;  
however, the associated legal, economic, and family circumstances may affect  
attendance, participation, completion of academic activities, motivation, organization of  
responsibilities, socioemotional well-being, and academic performance. The study  
follows a quantitative approach with a descriptive scope, a non-experimental design,  
and a cross-sectional structure. A structured questionnaire was used to examine  
participants’ legal experiences, perceived educational impacts, support received, and  
assessment of the proposed reform. The results reveal potential relationships between  
child support difficulties and students’ educational trajectories, without establishing direct  
or exclusive causality. Based on the findings, theoretical review, and analysis of  
Ecuadorian law, a pedagogical support model is proposed involving needs identification,  
tutoring, socioemotional guidance, specialized intervention, monitoring, and evaluation.  
The study also proposes a conditional extension of child support until the age of 25,  
subject to periodic proof of enrollment, satisfactory academic progress, economic  
dependence, and insufficient personal resources. When beneficiaries reach that age  
before completing a degree program whose official duration justifies continued support,  
1 Master’s student in the English as a Foreign Language Pedagogy program at the Bolivarian University of Ecuador.  
Master’s degree holder in Procedural Law, attorney admitted to practice before the courts of the Republic of  
Ecuador. EFL teacher, independent legal practitioner in Ecuador, and business entrepreneur.  
2
Postgraduate professor in the Master’s Program in English as a Foreign Language Pedagogy at the Bolivarian  
University of Ecuador. Durán, Guayas, Ecuador.  
3
Postgraduate Coordinator of the Master’s Program in English as a Foreign Language Pedagogy at the Bolivarian  
University of Ecuador. Durán, Guayas, Ecuador.  
Página 80  
Legal reframing of child support and educational continuity: academic impacts, pedagogical support,  
and a proposal for conditional extension  
Bryan Hernán Puente Chaquinga  
Johnny Segundo Campoverde López  
Josué Bonilla Tenesaca  
Volumen: 18  
Recepción: 03/06/2026  
Número: 3  
Trimestre: julio-septiembre  
Aprobado: 17/09/2026  
Año: 2026  
Artículo de revisión  
an exceptional, temporary, and proportional supplementary educational contribution is  
proposed, subject to judicial assessment. The study integrates legal and pedagogical  
mechanisms intended to protect students’ well-being, educational persistence, and  
completion of their first professional qualification.  
Key words: reorganization of legal concepts, child support, family law, socioeducational  
vulnerability, educational continuity.  
Resumen  
La presente investigación analiza la relación entre las situaciones jurídicas alimentarias  
adversas y las posibles condiciones de vulnerabilidad socioeducativa de estudiantes  
que han intervenido como beneficiarios en procesos judiciales, particularmente frente a  
dificultades relacionadas con la determinación, suficiencia, cumplimiento y continuidad  
de la pensión alimenticia. Se considera que la existencia de un proceso judicial no  
constituye, por sí misma, una afectación educativa; sin embargo, las circunstancias  
jurídicas, económicas y familiares asociadas pueden incidir en la asistencia,  
participación,  
cumplimiento  
de  
actividades,  
motivación,  
organización  
de  
responsabilidades, bienestar socioemocional y desempeño académico. La investigación  
se desarrolla mediante un enfoque cuantitativo, con alcance descriptivo, diseño no  
experimental y corte transversal, utilizando un cuestionario estructurado para examinar  
la experiencia jurídica de los participantes, las manifestaciones educativas percibidas, el  
acompañamiento recibido y su valoración de la reforma propuesta. Los resultados  
permiten reconocer posibles relaciones entre los problemas alimentarios y la trayectoria  
educativa, sin establecer una causalidad directa o exclusiva. A partir de los hallazgos, la  
revisión teórica y el análisis del ordenamiento ecuatoriano, se formula un modelo de  
acompañamiento pedagógico basado en la identificación de necesidades, las tutorías,  
la orientación socioemocional, la intervención especializada, el seguimiento y la  
evaluación. Asimismo, se propone ampliar condicionadamente el derecho de alimentos  
hasta los 25 años, previa acreditación periódica de la matrícula, regularidad académica,  
dependencia económica y carencia de recursos propios suficientes. Para los casos en  
que el beneficiario alcance dicha edad antes de culminar una carrera cuya duración  
oficial justifique la continuidad del apoyo, se plantea un aporte educativo  
complementario, excepcional, temporal y proporcional, sujeto a valoración judicial. La  
investigación articula mecanismos jurídicos y pedagógicos orientados a proteger el  
bienestar, la permanencia y la culminación de la primera formación profesional.  
Palabras clave: reordenamiento de conceptos jurídicos, pensión alimenticia, derecho  
de familia, vulnerabilidad socioeducativa, continuidad educativa.  
Introduction  
Education is a fundamental right aimed at the comprehensive development of the  
individual. Articles 26 and 27 of the Constitution of the Republic of Ecuador (2008)  
recognize education as a lifelong right and establish that it must be provided under the  
principles of equity, inclusion, participation, and respect for human rights. Educational  
Página 81  
Legal reframing of child support and educational continuity: academic impacts, pedagogical support,  
and a proposal for conditional extension  
Bryan Hernán Puente Chaquinga  
Johnny Segundo Campoverde López  
Josué Bonilla Tenesaca  
Volumen: 18  
Recepción: 03/06/2026  
Número: 3  
Trimestre: julio-septiembre  
Aprobado: 17/09/2026  
Año: 2026  
Artículo de revisión  
continuity depends not only on the conditions provided by educational institutions, but  
also on the personal, family, legal, and economic circumstances surrounding the  
student.  
These circumstances include difficulties related to the determination, adequacy,  
payment, and continuity of child support. Although the existence of a judicial proceeding  
does not, by itself, cause an educational impact, delayed, insufficient, unpaid, or  
terminated child support may limit the resources available for food, transportation,  
internet access, educational materials, housing, and other expenses required to  
continue studying. These circumstances may be related to difficulties in attendance,  
participation, motivation, organization of responsibilities, and academic performance,  
creating possible situations of socioeducational vulnerability. The right to maintenance  
has a comprehensive purpose that is not limited to providing food. Unnumbered Article 2  
of Title V of the Code on Children and Adolescents expressly includes education among  
the protected needs. In this regard, Puente Chaquinga, López Soria, and García  
Segarra (2025) identified difficulties concerning the clarity and consistency of the legal  
concepts used to calculate child support, as well as its timely payment. Therefore, they  
emphasized the need to adapt its regulation to current family, social, and economic  
circumstances. These difficulties go beyond the judicial sphere when they reduce the  
ability of child support to meet the educational needs of the beneficiary.  
In addition, paragraph 2 of Unnumbered Article 4 of Title V of the Code on Children and  
Adolescents recognizes the right to maintenance for adults up to the age of 21 who are  
studying, when their education prevents or makes it difficult for them to engage in paid  
work and when they lack sufficient resources of their own. However, this age limit may  
not reflect the actual duration of some technical, technological, or university degree  
programs. As a result, protection may end while the student is still studying and remains  
economically dependent. In this situation, pedagogical support may address some  
academic and socioemotional difficulties, but it cannot replace the material resources  
required to ensure educational continuity.  
Within this context, the study analyzes the relationship between child support difficulties  
experienced by student beneficiaries in judicial proceedings conducted in Ecuador and  
possible manifestations of socioeducational vulnerability. Using a quantitative approach,  
descriptive scope, non-experimental design, and cross-sectional structure, the study  
applies a structured questionnaire to examine participants’ knowledge of the law, legal  
experiences, perceived educational impacts, support received, and assessment of the  
proposed reform. Based on the results, the doctrinal review, and the analysis of  
Ecuadorian law, the study proposes a conditional extension of the right to maintenance  
until the age of 25. This extension would require periodic evidence of enrollment, regular  
academic participation, economic dependence, and insufficient personal resources. In  
exceptional cases, when the beneficiary reaches this age before completing a degree  
program whose official duration justifies continued support, a temporary and proportional  
supplementary educational contribution is proposed, subject to judicial assessment. In  
this way, the study connects pedagogical support with legal mechanisms intended to  
Página 82  
Legal reframing of child support and educational continuity: academic impacts, pedagogical support,  
and a proposal for conditional extension  
Bryan Hernán Puente Chaquinga  
Johnny Segundo Campoverde López  
Josué Bonilla Tenesaca  
Volumen: 18  
Recepción: 03/06/2026  
Número: 3  
Trimestre: julio-septiembre  
Aprobado: 17/09/2026  
Año: 2026  
Artículo de revisión  
promote students’ well-being, educational persistence, and completion of their first  
professional qualification.  
Development  
Legal reframing of child support and its relationship with educational continuity  
The right to maintenance is a legal institution intended to guarantee the basic needs and  
comprehensive development of its beneficiaries. Its scope is not limited to food, as it  
also includes healthcare, education, care, clothing, housing, transportation, culture, and  
recreation, in accordance with Unnumbered Article 2 of Title V of the Code on Children  
and Adolescents. Therefore, child support should be understood as a mechanism of  
comprehensive protection and not only as a periodic financial payment.4 This  
relationship is especially important in the educational context. The Constitution of the  
Republic of Ecuador (2008) recognizes education as a lifelong right and an unavoidable  
duty of the State (Art. 26). It also establishes that education must promote the  
comprehensive development of individuals and be based on the principles of inclusion,  
equity, and participation (Art. 27). Consequently, educational continuity also depends on  
material conditions that allow students to cover expenses related to transportation, food,  
educational materials, internet access, and other needs connected with their education.  
Figure 1.  
Components of the right to maintenance related to educational continuity  
Source: Prepared by Puente Chaquinga, Campoverde López, and Bonilla (2026b),  
based on Unnumbered Article 2 of Title V of the Code on Children and Adolescents.  
Puente Chaquinga and García Segarra (2025) state that the lack of clarity and  
4
Legal note: The right to maintenance provides comprehensive protection that covers several needs of the  
beneficiary, including education, while child support is the financial mechanism intended to make this protection  
effective. Therefore, these concepts are related but are not legally equivalent, in accordance with Unnumbered  
Article 2 of Title V of the Code on Children and Adolescents.  
Página 83  
Legal reframing of child support and educational continuity: academic impacts, pedagogical support,  
and a proposal for conditional extension  
Bryan Hernán Puente Chaquinga  
Johnny Segundo Campoverde López  
Josué Bonilla Tenesaca  
Volumen: 18  
Recepción: 03/06/2026  
Número: 3  
Trimestre: julio-septiembre  
Aprobado: 17/09/2026  
Año: 2026  
Artículo de revisión  
consistency in the concepts used to calculate child support may make the fair  
application of the law more difficult. Therefore, they propose reorganizing these criteria  
by considering the beneficiary’s needs, the financial capacity of the obligated person,  
and current family and social changes.  
From this perspective, the legal reframing of child support should not be limited to  
calculating its amount, but should also consider the comprehensive purpose of this  
protection. When the beneficiary continues studying, education is a need expressly  
recognized within the right to maintenance. Therefore, difficulties related to the  
determination, adequacy, or continuity of child support may go beyond the legal sphere  
and affect the conditions in which the student continues their education.  
Determination, adequacy, payment, and continuity of child support as factors of  
socioeducational vulnerability  
The effectiveness of child support does not depend only on its legal recognition, but also  
on its proper determination, adequacy, timely payment, and continuity. Determination  
establishes the amount of child support; adequacy assesses whether this amount meets  
the beneficiary’s needs; payment ensures that the beneficiary actually receives it; and  
continuity prevents the interruption of protection while the conditions that justify it remain  
in place.  
Puente Chaquinga et al. (2025) identified difficulties concerning the clarity of the legal  
criteria used to calculate child support and its timely payment. In the case of students,  
these difficulties may limit the resources available to cover tuition fees, transportation,  
food, internet access, educational materials, and other expenses related to their  
education. This problem may also occur when child support ends because the  
beneficiary reaches the legal age limit, even though the person continues studying and  
lacks sufficient personal resources.  
These circumstances do not automatically lead to poor academic performance or the  
interruption of studies. However, they may cause financial concerns, additional  
responsibilities, and difficulties in maintaining attendance, participation, motivation, and  
completion of academic activities. In this regard, Pivaque-Martínez et al. (2022) relate  
family problems to possible consequences for students’ academic performance,  
although their effects depend on the personal, family, and institutional circumstances of  
each case.  
Therefore, socioeducational vulnerability should be understood as a multidimensional  
condition involving legal, economic, academic, and socioemotional factors. Addressing  
this condition requires institutional support mechanisms, as well as effective child  
support protection that responds to students’ material needs and contributes to the  
continuity of their education.  
Página 84  
Legal reframing of child support and educational continuity: academic impacts, pedagogical support,  
and a proposal for conditional extension  
Bryan Hernán Puente Chaquinga  
Johnny Segundo Campoverde López  
Josué Bonilla Tenesaca  
Volumen: 18  
Recepción: 03/06/2026  
Número: 3  
Trimestre: julio-septiembre  
Aprobado: 17/09/2026  
Año: 2026  
Artículo de revisión  
Figure 2.  
Factors associated with socioeducational vulnerability and social conditions  
Dimension  
Aspects Analyzed  
Rationale  
The Code on Children and Adolescents  
recognizes education as part of the right to  
maintenance. Puente Chaquinga et al. (2025)  
identify difficulties related to calculation, legal  
clarity, and payment of child support.  
Legal and child  
support  
Determination,  
payment, and continuity of  
child support.  
adequacy,  
Economic  
educational  
changes in family dynamics,  
and availability of resources.  
dependence,  
expenses,  
Larrea Holguín (2009) connects the right to  
maintenance with meeting essential needs.  
Caicedo Sosa (2015) recognizes that family  
conflicts may affect other members of the family  
environment.  
Economic  
family  
and  
Concerns, motivation, well-  
being, self-regulation, and  
interpersonal relationships.  
Official socioemotional support resources  
promote well-being and the development of  
skills for coping with adverse situations (Ministry  
of Education, 2023).  
Socioemotional  
Academic  
Concentration, attendance,  
participation, completion of  
Pivaque-Martínez et al. (2022) relate family  
problems to possible changes in academic  
performance. The General Regulations to the  
Organic Law on Intercultural Education provide  
mechanisms for academic reinforcement and  
educational support.  
activities,  
performance,  
academic  
and  
educational continuity.  
Teacher support, tutoring,  
guidance, monitoring, and  
intervention by the DECE or  
university student welfare  
services.  
The DECE Management Model includes support  
and monitoring measures. These responses  
must be adapted to the student’s educational  
level and individual needs (Ministry of  
Education, 2023).  
Institutional and  
protective  
Source: Authors’ own work based on Larrea Holguín (2009), Caicedo Sosa (2015),  
Pivaque-Martínez et al. (2022), the Ministry of Education (2023), the Code on Children  
and Adolescents, and Puente Chaquinga et al. (2025). Prepared by: Puente Chaquinga,  
Campoverde López, and Bonilla (2026b).  
Attendance, participation, motivation, interpersonal relationships, adaptation, emotional  
well-being, and educational continuity are important elements for understanding the  
student’s experience more broadly and guiding pedagogical responses according to the  
needs identified. Therefore, these dimensions should not be understood as separate  
categories, but as interconnected elements that help identify risk factors, protective  
conditions, and support needs. This perspective prevents socioeducational vulnerability  
from being limited only to academic performance and provides a broader understanding  
of the student’s educational experience.  
Página 85  
Legal reframing of child support and educational continuity: academic impacts, pedagogical support,  
and a proposal for conditional extension  
Bryan Hernán Puente Chaquinga  
Johnny Segundo Campoverde López  
Josué Bonilla Tenesaca  
Volumen: 18  
Recepción: 03/06/2026  
Número: 3  
Trimestre: julio-septiembre  
Aprobado: 17/09/2026  
Año: 2026  
Artículo de revisión  
Academic impacts associated with adverse child support-related legal situations  
The educational trajectory is a continuous process related to learning, participation,  
persistence, and the student’s comprehensive development. Within this process,  
difficulties caused by insufficient, delayed, unpaid, or terminated child support may  
become relevant when they limit the resources needed to cover food, transportation,  
internet access, educational materials, tuition fees, and other education-related  
expenses. Therefore, the results show that 64.3% of student beneficiaries reported  
some degree of impact on their attendance. The same percentage experienced  
difficulties with completing academic activities, concentration, and educational  
continuity. In addition, 57.1% reported impacts on participation, motivation, interpersonal  
relationships, and academic performance, while 42.9% experienced difficulties in  
organizing their responsibilities.  
These findings are consistent with Pivaque-Martínez et al. (2022), who state that family  
problems may have a negative impact on academic performance. In addition, the 2019  
Regional Comparative and Explanatory Study (ERCE 2019) identified associations  
between regular attendance, socioeconomic conditions, and learning outcomes  
(UNESCO, 2021). These findings help explain that the educational experience is shaped  
by the interaction of personal, family, economic, and institutional factors.  
Figure 3.  
Perceived educational impacts of adverse family situations  
.
Source: Survey Students’ Perceptions of the Impact of Adverse Family Situations on  
Academic Performance / Percepción de los estudiantes sobre la incidencia de  
situaciones  
familiares  
adversas  
en  
su  
desempeño  
académico.  
https://forms.gle/oQ6WvLzDtEZgUa3b8 Prepared by: Puente Chaquinga, Campoverde  
López, and Bonilla (2026b).  
Página 86  
Legal reframing of child support and educational continuity: academic impacts, pedagogical support,  
and a proposal for conditional extension  
Bryan Hernán Puente Chaquinga  
Johnny Segundo Campoverde López  
Josué Bonilla Tenesaca  
Volumen: 18  
Recepción: 03/06/2026  
Número: 3  
Trimestre: julio-septiembre  
Aprobado: 17/09/2026  
Año: 2026  
Artículo de revisión  
The results also show difficulties related to participation and willingness to learn,  
reported by 67.6% of the participants. In addition, 64.9% reported impacts on their  
motivation or relationships with classmates and teachers, while 58.6% experienced  
difficulties in organizing and prioritizing their academic responsibilities. Overall, these  
findings show that the problem is not limited to academic performance, but involves  
different dimensions of the educational trajectory.5 Although the questionnaire did not  
focus exclusively on child support, its results provide evidence of possible educational  
impacts associated with adverse family circumstances. Under the new focus of this  
article, child support difficulties are analyzed as a specific situation that may intensify  
these conditions when they limit the resources needed to continue studying. Therefore,  
the results should be interpreted together with the legal and economic analysis, without  
attributing to child support effects that were not directly measured The identification of  
these impacts helps guide support strategies according to each student’s individual  
needs. Attendance, participation, motivation, organization, and academic performance  
should be analyzed together to support students’ persistence and continuity in the  
educational process.  
Figure 4.  
Perceived  
trajectory  
impact  
of  
child  
support  
difficulties  
on  
the  
educational  
Source: Survey Child Support, Educational Continuity, and Legal Reform / Pensión  
alimenticia, continuidad educativa y reforma normativa. Prepared by: Puente  
Chaquinga, Campoverde López, and Bonilla (2026a).  
5
Note: The percentages represent the participants’ reported perceptions of educational impacts associated with  
adverse family situations. Due to the descriptive scope and non-experimental design of the study, the results help  
identify trends and possible relationships between the variables, but they do not establish causality or attribute these  
impacts exclusively to unpaid, insufficient, or terminated child support. This interpretation follows the  
methodological criteria proposed by Hernández-Sampieri and Mendoza (2018) for descriptive and non-experimental  
studies.  
Página 87  
Legal reframing of child support and educational continuity: academic impacts, pedagogical support,  
and a proposal for conditional extension  
Bryan Hernán Puente Chaquinga  
Johnny Segundo Campoverde López  
Josué Bonilla Tenesaca  
Volumen: 18  
Recepción: 03/06/2026  
Número: 3  
Trimestre: julio-septiembre  
Aprobado: 17/09/2026  
Año: 2026  
Artículo de revisión  
Although a slight impact was more common across several dimensions, moderate and  
significant impacts were also identified. In particular, significant impacts were reported in  
attendance, completion of academic activities, motivation, interpersonal relationships,  
and educational continuity. This shows that difficulties related to child support are not  
limited to academic performance, but may also affect students’ participation,  
persistence, and well-being.  
Identifying these impacts helps guide support strategies according to each student’s  
individual needs. Attendance, participation, motivation, organization, interpersonal  
relationships, academic performance, and educational continuity should be analyzed  
together to provide appropriate educational support without transferring the legal conflict  
into the academic setting.  
Socioemotional skills for coping with adverse child support-related legal situations  
When students face complex family and economic situations, the development of  
socioemotional and cognitive skills can help them recognize their emotions, manage  
stressful situations, make decisions, solve problems, communicate effectively, and ask  
for support when necessary. Persistence, responsibility, achievement motivation, and  
self-control are related to better academic outcomes and lower levels of absenteeism  
and school delay (OECD, 2024).  
These skills become especially important when unpaid, insufficient, or terminated child  
support causes concern, financial uncertainty, or changes in the student’s  
responsibilities. However, coping with these difficulties cannot depend only on the  
student’s individual abilities because these skills develop within family, social, and  
educational contexts. The Ministry of Education (2023) recognizes the importance of  
strengthening skills related to emotional management, decision-making, communication,  
and conflict resolution. Therefore, skills development should be understood as part of a  
comprehensive educational response that includes teacher support, socioemotional  
guidance, and institutional support mechanisms. Strengthening these skills may help  
students manage certain emotional or academic impacts, but it does not replace  
compliance with child support obligations or solve the financial limitations that may affect  
the continuity of their studies.  
Pedagogical Support and Institutional Intervention  
Pedagogical support is an institutional response to family, economic, or legal  
circumstances that may affect students’ well-being and educational continuity. Its  
purpose is not to intervene in the child support dispute, but to identify its possible effects  
within the educational process and coordinate the appropriate support measures.  
Article 282 of the General Regulations to the Organic Law on Intercultural Education  
establishes that professionals from the Department of Student Counseling (DECE) must  
provide students with psychosocial support and monitoring. They are also responsible  
for guiding the educational community and coordinating actions that promote  
comprehensive well-being, learning, and the exercise of students’ rights (General  
Página 88  
Legal reframing of child support and educational continuity: academic impacts, pedagogical support,  
and a proposal for conditional extension  
Bryan Hernán Puente Chaquinga  
Johnny Segundo Campoverde López  
Josué Bonilla Tenesaca  
Volumen: 18  
Recepción: 03/06/2026  
Número: 3  
Trimestre: julio-septiembre  
Aprobado: 17/09/2026  
Año: 2026  
Artículo de revisión  
Regulations to the LOEI, 2023, Art. 282).  
Within this framework, teachers can identify changes in attendance, behavior,  
participation, completion of academic activities, or academic performance. The DECE  
can assess socioemotional needs, provide guidance, monitor the student, or refer the  
case to the appropriate services. This intervention must respect the student’s  
confidentiality and prevent the legal conflict from being transferred into the educational  
setting. In higher education, support may be provided through academic tutoring,  
student welfare units, and other institutional services. These responses should be  
adapted to the student’s educational level and individual needs, considering that the  
Organic Law on Higher Education recognizes non-discriminatory access, persistence,  
mobility, and graduation as components of the right to higher education.  
Pedagogical strategies and support model for educational continuity  
Pedagogical strategies should respond to the needs identified and be applied according  
to the principles of relevance, proportionality, and respect for students’ rights. These  
strategies may include individual monitoring, tutoring, socioemotional guidance,  
communication with the family when appropriate, pedagogical adjustments, and  
coordination with the relevant institutional services. Their selection requires an individual  
assessment because not all students experience the same effects when facing a child  
support-related legal situation. Some students may have difficulties with attendance,  
participation, or completion of academic activities, while others may need support to  
organize their responsibilities, maintain motivation, or manage stressful situations. The  
educational response should identify the factors that actually interfere with the student’s  
educational trajectory and the measures that may help reduce their effects.  
These strategies do not involve lowering academic requirements or automatically  
granting benefits because of the existence of a child support proceeding. Their purpose  
is to remove specific barriers, provide reasonable learning opportunities, and promote  
educational participation and persistence. This approach is consistent with UNESCO  
(2017), which emphasizes the need to identify and reduce the barriers that limit  
students’ presence, participation, and achievement.  
Figure 5.  
Pedagogical support model and strategies for educational continuity  
Stage  
Model  
of  
the Action  
Responsible Person and Institutional  
Basis  
Recognition and recording of changes  
in the student’s attendance,  
participation, completion of academic  
activities, motivation, or academic  
performance.  
Teacher  
or  
tutor.  
Pedagogical  
observation helps identify possible needs  
without making judgments about the  
family judicial proceeding.  
Identification  
of the situation  
Página 89  
Legal reframing of child support and educational continuity: academic impacts, pedagogical support,  
and a proposal for conditional extension  
Bryan Hernán Puente Chaquinga  
Johnny Segundo Campoverde López  
Josué Bonilla Tenesaca  
Volumen: 18  
Recepción: 03/06/2026  
Número: 3  
Trimestre: julio-septiembre  
Aprobado: 17/09/2026  
Año: 2026  
Artículo de revisión  
Assessment  
of  
academic,  
Teacher, tutor, and DECE or university  
student welfare unit. Article 282 of the  
General Regulations to the LOEI  
provides for the psychosocial support  
and monitoring of students.  
socioemotional, family, or economic  
needs that may be interfering with the  
student’s educational trajectory.  
Identification  
of needs  
Individual  
selection  
of  
tutoring,  
Educational  
team  
and  
support  
socioemotional guidance, pedagogical  
adjustments, referrals, and other  
appropriate measures.  
professionals. The DECE Management  
Model provides for the planning of  
support measures according to the needs  
identified.  
Support  
planning  
Implementation  
of  
academic,  
DECE, university student welfare unit,  
psychological, social, or legal guidance  
measures within the responsibilities of  
each professional.  
or  
specialized  
services.  
The  
Specialized  
intervention  
intervention may include guidance,  
referral, and coordination with external  
services when necessary.  
Regular review of the student’s  
attendance, participation, academic  
Teacher, tutor, and responsible  
professionals. The General Regulations  
to the LOEI and the DECE Management  
Model recognize monitoring as part of  
psychosocial support.  
Monitoring  
performance,  
continuity,  
implementation  
measures.  
and  
well  
the  
educational  
as the  
planned  
as  
of  
Assessment of progress, continuing  
difficulties, and the effectiveness of the  
strategies, with the possibility of  
maintaining, modifying, or ending the  
support process.  
Responsible  
Evaluation helps update the support plan  
and determine additional support  
according to the student’s progress.  
institutional  
team.  
Evaluation of  
results  
Source: Authors’ own work based on the General Regulations to the LOEI (2023, Art.  
282), the Management Model of the Department of Student Counseling (Ministry of  
Education, 2023), and UNESCO (2017). Prepared by: Puente Chaquinga, Campoverde  
López, and Bonilla (2026a).  
The implementation of these measures must respect confidentiality and avoid any form  
of stigma related to the student’s family or legal situation. Educational support does not  
seek to intervene in the judicial proceeding, but to address the academic or  
socioemotional needs that may arise from the circumstances experienced by the  
student. However, tutoring, pedagogical adjustments, and socioemotional guidance  
cannot replace the financial resources included within the right to maintenance. This  
limitation shows that educational continuity also requires legal mechanisms capable of  
maintaining child support protection while the conditions of study and economic  
dependence continue.  
Página 90  
Legal reframing of child support and educational continuity: academic impacts, pedagogical support,  
and a proposal for conditional extension  
Bryan Hernán Puente Chaquinga  
Johnny Segundo Campoverde López  
Josué Bonilla Tenesaca  
Volumen: 18  
Recepción: 03/06/2026  
Número: 3  
Trimestre: julio-septiembre  
Aprobado: 17/09/2026  
Año: 2026  
Artículo de revisión  
Proposal for the conditional extension of the right to maintenance and supplementary  
Paragraph 2 of Unnumbered Article 4 of Title V of the Code on Children and Adolescents  
recognizes the right to maintenance for adults up to the age of 21 who continue studying,  
when their education prevents or makes it difficult for them to engage in paid work and  
when they lack sufficient personal resources. However, this age limit may cause  
protection to end before the completion of some technical, technological, or university  
degree programs. Puente Chaquinga et al. (2025) state that child support regulations  
should respond to the beneficiary’s needs, the financial capacity of the obligated person,  
and current social changes. From a comparative legal perspective, the Constitutional  
Court of Colombia, in Judgment T-854/12, considered the age of 25 a reasonable limit for  
professional education and progress toward financial independence6.  
Therefore, a conditional extension of the right to maintenance until the age of 25 is  
proposed. Its continuation must be demonstrated at the beginning of each academic  
period through current enrollment and documents proving regular academic participation  
and the lack of sufficient personal resources. The judicial authority must also consider the  
student’s needs, academic progress, ability to engage in paid work, and the financial  
capacity of the obligated parent. Protection will end when the beneficiary reaches the age  
of 25 or completes their first professional qualification, whichever occurs first. In  
exceptional cases, when the beneficiary reaches this age before completing a degree  
program whose official duration justifies continued support, the judicial authority may  
establish a temporary and proportional supplementary educational contribution to cover  
verified expenses required to complete the program.  
Proposed Legal Reform  
The proposal includes two amendments. The first replaces Paragraph 2 of Unnumbered  
Article 4 of Title V of the Code on Children and Adolescents to conditionally extend the  
right to maintenance until the age of 25. The second introduces a new unnumbered article  
to regulate, in exceptional cases, a supplementary educational contribution for  
beneficiaries who reach this age before completing a degree program whose official  
duration justifies the temporary continuation of support.  
Figure 6.  
Comparison between the current regulation and the proposed reform  
Provision  
Current Wording  
Proposed Wording  
2. Adults up to the age of 25 who prove that they are  
regularly studying at any educational, technical,  
technological, or university level that prevents or  
makes it difficult for them to engage in paid work and  
Paragraph  
Reform Law to Title V of Book  
Two of the Code on Children and  
Adolescents, published in Official  
2
of  
Unnumber  
6 Legal note: Judgment T-854/12 is used only as a comparative legal reference and is not binding in Ecuador. Under current  
Ecuadorian law, the age limit remains 21; therefore, the extension to 25 and the supplementary educational contribution are  
proposals subject to legislative reform and judicial assessment.  
Página 91  
Legal reframing of child support and educational continuity: academic impacts, pedagogical support,  
and a proposal for conditional extension  
Bryan Hernán Puente Chaquinga  
Johnny Segundo Campoverde López  
Josué Bonilla Tenesaca  
Volumen: 18  
Recepción: 03/06/2026  
Número: 3  
Trimestre: julio-septiembre  
Aprobado: 17/09/2026  
Año: 2026  
Artículo de revisión  
ed Article  
4 of Title V  
Gazette Supplement No. 643 of  
July 28, 2009. 2. Adults up to the  
age of 21 who prove that they are  
studying at any educational level  
that prevents or makes it difficult  
for them to engage in paid work  
and who lack sufficient personal  
resources.  
who lack sufficient personal resources. The  
continuation of this right must be demonstrated at  
the beginning of each academic period through an  
enrollment certificate and documents proving  
continued or regular participation in the program.  
Protection will remain in force until the beneficiary  
reaches this age or completes their first professional  
qualification, whichever occurs first, without affecting  
its review when the beneficiary’s needs or the  
obligated parent’s financial capacity change.  
of  
the  
Code on  
Children  
and  
Adolescent  
s
Supplementary educational contribution for the  
completion of studies.— In exceptional cases, when  
a person reaches the age of 25 before completing  
their first degree or professional education program,  
the judicial authority may establish a temporary and  
proportional supplementary educational contribution  
exclusively intended to cover verified educational  
expenses. Its approval will consider current  
enrollment, regular academic participation, the  
official duration of the program, the time remaining  
for completion, the lack of sufficient personal  
resources, and the financial capacity of the  
obligated person. This contribution will not constitute  
child support and will end upon completion of the  
program, unjustified withdrawal from studies, or the  
end of the circumstances that justified its approval.  
Unnumbered  
Article 4-A —  
New  
Current legislation does not  
provide  
a
specific educational  
contribution for beneficiaries who  
reach the age of 25 before  
unnumbered  
article  
after  
added  
completing  
a
degree program  
whose official duration justifies the  
temporary continuation of financial  
support.  
Unnumbered  
Article 4  
Source: Authors’ own work based on Unnumbered Article 4 of Title V of the Code on  
Children and Adolescents, incorporated through the Reform Law published in Official  
Gazette Supplement No. 643 of July 28, 2009. Prepared by: Puente Chaquinga,  
Campoverde López, and Bonilla (2026b).  
Legislative drafting of the proposed reform  
Article 1.— Paragraph 2 of Unnumbered Article 4 of Title V of Book Two of the Code on  
Children and Adolescents shall be replaced with the following:  
“2. Adults up to the age of 25 who prove that they are regularly studying at any  
educational, technical, technological, or university level that prevents or makes it difficult  
for them to engage in paid work and who lack sufficient personal resources. The  
continuation of this right must be demonstrated at the beginning of each academic  
period through an enrollment certificate and documents proving continued or regular  
participation in the program. Protection will remain in force until the beneficiary reaches  
this age or completes their first professional qualification, whichever occurs first, without  
affecting its review when the beneficiary’s needs or the obligated parent’s financial  
capacity change.”  
Página 92  
Legal reframing of child support and educational continuity: academic impacts, pedagogical support,  
and a proposal for conditional extension  
Bryan Hernán Puente Chaquinga  
Johnny Segundo Campoverde López  
Josué Bonilla Tenesaca  
Volumen: 18  
Recepción: 03/06/2026  
Número: 3  
Trimestre: julio-septiembre  
Aprobado: 17/09/2026  
Año: 2026  
Artículo de revisión  
Article 2.— The following unnumbered article shall be added after Unnumbered Article 4  
of Title V of Book Two of the Code on Children and Adolescents:  
“Supplementary educational contribution for the completion of studies.— In exceptional  
cases, when a person reaches the age of 25 before completing their first degree or  
professional education program, the judicial authority may establish a temporary and  
proportional supplementary educational contribution exclusively intended to cover  
verified expenses related to the completion of the program. Its approval will consider  
current enrollment, regular academic participation, the official duration of the program,  
the time remaining for completion, the lack of sufficient personal resources, and the  
financial capacity of the obligated person. This contribution will end upon completion of  
the program, unjustified withdrawal from studies, or the end of the circumstances that  
justified its approval”.  
Conclusions  
The results show that problems related to child support may be associated with different  
dimensions of the educational trajectory. Among the 14 students who completed the  
impact matrix, 64.3% reported some degree of impact on attendance, completion of  
academic activities, concentration, and educational continuity. In addition, 57.1% reported  
impacts on participation, motivation, interpersonal relationships, and academic  
performance, while 42.9% experienced difficulties in organizing their responsibilities. Due  
to the descriptive scope and non-experimental design of the study, these data represent  
the participants’ perceptions and do not demonstrate an exclusive causal relationship.  
The legal analysis established that education forms part of the comprehensive scope of  
the right to maintenance. Therefore, the inadequate determination, insufficiency, delay,  
non-payment, or termination of child support may become factors of socioeducational  
vulnerability when they limit the resources available for food, transportation, internet  
access, tuition fees, educational materials, and other expenses required to continue  
studying.  
Socioemotional skills and support strategies may help students cope with certain  
academic and emotional difficulties. Tutoring, guidance, pedagogical adjustments, and  
institutional monitoring should respond to each student’s individual needs, respect  
confidentiality, and prevent stigmatization. However, these measures do not replace  
compliance with the child support obligation or solve the financial limitations that may  
interrupt the student’s education.  
Regarding the proposed reform, 77.8% of the participants agreed or strongly agreed with  
conditionally extending the right to maintenance until the age of 25. This result supports  
the relevance of reviewing the current age limit of 21 when the beneficiary continues  
studying and lacks sufficient personal resources. The extension should require periodic  
proof of enrollment, regular academic participation, and economic dependence, while also  
considering the obligated parent’s financial capacity and other family responsibilities.  
Página 93  
Legal reframing of child support and educational continuity: academic impacts, pedagogical support,  
and a proposal for conditional extension  
Bryan Hernán Puente Chaquinga  
Johnny Segundo Campoverde López  
Josué Bonilla Tenesaca  
Volumen: 18  
Recepción: 03/06/2026  
Número: 3  
Trimestre: julio-septiembre  
Aprobado: 17/09/2026  
Año: 2026  
Artículo de revisión  
Finally, 70.6% of those who answered the corresponding question supported the  
introduction of a supplementary educational contribution. This mechanism could apply in  
exceptional cases when the beneficiary reaches the age of 25 before completing their first  
professional qualification and the official duration of the degree program justifies  
continued support. Its temporary and proportional nature, subject to judicial assessment,  
would connect legal protection with pedagogical support and strengthen the conditions  
required for educational persistence and completion.  
Recommendations  
Reform Paragraph 2 of Unnumbered Article 4 of the Code on Children and  
Adolescents to conditionally extend the right to maintenance until the age of 25,  
subject to proof of current enrollment, regular academic participation, economic  
dependence, and lack of sufficient personal resources.  
Regulate a supplementary educational contribution in exceptional cases when the  
beneficiary reaches the age of 25 before completing their first professional  
qualification, considering the time remaining, verified educational expenses, and  
the obligated person’s financial capacity.  
Strengthen coordination among teachers, tutors, the DECE, university student  
welfare units, and other institutional services to identify needs and apply  
guidance, monitoring, and educational support strategies.  
Ensure that educational support respects confidentiality, prevents stigmatization,  
and addresses only academic and socioemotional needs without transferring the  
judicial dispute into the educational setting.  
Expand the application of the research instrument to student beneficiaries from  
different provinces, educational levels, and types of degree programs, using  
screening and verification mechanisms that distinguish between the  
determination, insufficiency, non-payment, and termination of child support.  
Bibliographic references  
Asamblea Constituyente del Ecuador (2008). Constitución de la República del Ecuador  
[Constitution of the Republic of Ecuador]. Registro Oficial No. 449, October 20,  
2008.  
Asamblea Nacional del Ecuador (2010). Ley Orgánica de Educación Superior [Organic  
Law on Higher Education]. Registro Oficial Supplement No. 298, October 12,  
2010.  
Caicedo Sosa, J. L. (2015). La operatividad de la mediación como medio de solución de  
conflictos y las garantías del principio constitucional de celeridad procesal [The  
effectiveness of mediation as a means of conflict resolution and the guarantees of  
the constitutional principle of procedural efficiency] [Undergraduate thesis,  
Universidad Técnica Estatal de Quevedo].  
Página 94  
Legal reframing of child support and educational continuity: academic impacts, pedagogical support,  
and a proposal for conditional extension  
Bryan Hernán Puente Chaquinga  
Johnny Segundo Campoverde López  
Josué Bonilla Tenesaca  
Volumen: 18  
Recepción: 03/06/2026  
Número: 3  
Trimestre: julio-septiembre  
Aprobado: 17/09/2026  
Año: 2026  
Artículo de revisión  
Congreso Nacional del Ecuador (2003). Código de la Niñez y Adolescencia [Code on  
Children and Adolescents]. Registro Oficial No. 737, January 3, 2003.  
https://www.igualdad.gob.ec/wp-  
content/uploads/downloads/2023/05/codigo_ninez_adolescencia_mayo2023.pdf  
Corte Constitucional de Colombia. (2012). Sentencia T-854/12 [Judgment T-854/12].  
https://www.corteconstitucional.gov.co/relatoria/2012/t-854-12.htm  
Corte Constitucional del Ecuador. (2021). Sentencia No. 40-18-IN/21 [Judgment No. 40-  
18-IN/21] (Reporting Judge: Daniela Salazar Marín).  
Hernández-Sampieri, R. & Mendoza Torres, C. P. (2018). Metodología de la  
investigación: Las rutas cuantitativa, cualitativa y mixta [Research methodology:  
Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods]. McGraw-Hill Education.  
Larrea Holguín, J. (2009). Derecho civil del Ecuador [Civil law of Ecuador] (5th ed., Vol.  
1). Corporación de Estudios y Publicaciones.  
Ministerio de Educación del Ecuador (2023). Modelo de gestión del Departamento de  
Consejería Estudiantil [Management model of the Department of Student  
Counseling].  
https://educacion.gob.ec/wp-  
content/uploads/downloads/2023/06/modelo-DECE.pdf  
Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2024). Social and  
emotional skills for better lives: Findings from the OECD Survey on Social and  
Emotional Skills 2023. OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/35ca7b7c-en  
Pivaque-Martínez, E. J., Giler-Rodríguez, P. R., Guerrero-Pacheco, D. R., & Macías-  
Delgado, J. J. (2022). Problemas familiares y su afectación en cuanto al  
rendimiento académico estudiantil [Family problems and their impact on students’  
academic performance]. Polo del Conocimiento, 7(8), 2727–2741.  
https://doi.org/10.23857/pc.v7i8.4535  
Presidencia de la República del Ecuador. (2023). Reglamento General a la Ley  
Orgánica de Educación Intercultural [General Regulations to the Organic Law on  
Intercultural Education] (Executive Decree No. 675). Segundo Suplemento del  
Registro  
Oficial  
No.  
254,  
February  
22,  
2023.  
https://www.registroficial.gob.ec/segundo-suplemento-al-registro-oficial-no-254/  
Puente Chaquinga, B. H., López Soria, Y., & García Segarra, H. G. (2025).  
Reordenamiento de los conceptos jurídicos tomados en cuenta en el cálculo de  
la pensión alimenticia [Reframing the legal concepts considered in the calculation  
of child support]. Roca. Revista Científico-Educacional de la Provincia Granma,  
21(4), 301–320. https://revistas.udg.co.cu/index.php/roca/article/view/5220  
Puente Chaquinga, B. H., Campoverde López, J. S. & Bonilla T., J. R. (2026a).  
Encuesta sobre pensión alimenticia, continuidad educativa y reforma normativa  
Página 95  
Legal reframing of child support and educational continuity: academic impacts, pedagogical support,  
and a proposal for conditional extension  
Bryan Hernán Puente Chaquinga  
Johnny Segundo Campoverde López  
Josué Bonilla Tenesaca  
Volumen: 18  
Recepción: 03/06/2026  
Número: 3  
Trimestre: julio-septiembre  
Aprobado: 17/09/2026  
Año: 2026  
Artículo de revisión  
[Survey on child support, educational continuity, and legal reform] [Unpublished  
bilingual research questionnaire].  
Puente Chaquinga, B. H., Campoverde López, J. S. & Bonilla T., J. R. (2026b).  
Percepción de los estudiantes sobre la incidencia de situaciones familiares  
adversas en su desempeño académico [Students’ perceptions of the impact of  
adverse family situations on academic performance] [Unpublished research  
questionnaire]. https://forms.gle/oQ6WvLzDtEZgUa3b8  
UNESCO (2017). A guide for ensuring inclusion and equity in education.  
https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000248254  
UNESCO (2021, November 30). UNESCO warns of a lack of progress in basic learning  
achievements since 2013 in Latin America and the Caribbean.  
https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/unesco-warns-lack-progress-basic-learning-  
achievements-2013-latin-america-and-caribbean  
Conflicto de intereses: Los autores declaran no tener conflicto de intereses.  
Contribución de los autores: Todos los autores participaron en la concepción, ejecución, análisis y  
redacción del estudio.  
Universidad de Las Tunas en https://ror.org/05fj29j73  
Página 96