Idealized by the poet, writer and professor Ilka Brunhilde Laurito , the Children's Department (1961-1966 of the Brazilian Cinematheque introduced cinema to children and youth audiences both in the entertainment, school and/or specialized spheres, breaking and renewing the proposals coming from the educational cinema. This project, formed as an internal program, brought discussions about children's film clubs, cinema as a school subject and film as an artistic and aesthetic space for childhood into the Brazilian context. More than a transitory and temporary initiative, these activities shed light on the role of Cinematheques in bringing this young audience closer to cinema. Starting from discussions about cinema as heritage and spaces for film preservation, the in-between place occupied by educational sectors in Cinematheques is presented. The objective of this thesis is to approach the trajectory of Ilka Laurito and investigate what were the proposals for cinema for children formulated by the Children's Department. As a source, we used the drafts, letters and diaries belonging to Laurito's personal collection and the Children's Department under the custody of Cinemateca Brasileira, as well as the socio-historical bibliographic references that influenced the program's formulation. As a result of this research, it is expected to have contributed to studies on the role of Cinematheques in education, in filling a gap regarding the activities developed by the Children's Department and, above all, in relation to the performance of Ilka Laurito in the Brazilian Cinematheque.