When an Orphanage Is the Answer

We’ve worked with orphans for almost 50 years and know that a loving family provides them with the best outcome. Not all of the children who are called orphans actually are. Some have been turned over to an orphanage by parents who are too poor to look after them. Some have been abandoned by parents whose own problems made them incapable of looking after them.

In the end, whatever the reason a child has no family of their own to care for them doesn’t matter. What does matter is that an orphanage can become their new home and provide a family. Our partner orphanages in Guatemala and Burundi provide as much love and support as possible to any child in their care.

Through our partnerships with child-centered orphanages, we are able to utilize funds from generous donors to provide for children’s basic needs, including food, shelter, care, and protection. We also provide medical supplies, psychological services, and physical and cognitive services for children with special needs.

Our Orphan Care Programs

Guatemala

We partner with two small hogares (Spanish for homes) that are safe havens for children whose families are unable to care for them due to neglect, abuse, or abandonment. These homes create a warm, family-like atmosphere where kids can stay for as long as needed. We provide funding for operational support — food, utilities, staff costs, school and medical supplies. We help parents whose children have been removed from their care by court order to rehabilitate themselves. This might involve skills training, substance-abuse counseling, or a rehab program.

Burundi

We provide baby formula and specialty milk to ensure the youngest and most vulnerable children have the nutrition they need to grow and develop normally. This year, we added a feeding program for older orphans and members of the local community.