Extreme poverty, abandonment, violence and abuse force children away from their homes and into the streets. Many are left with no other choice but to flee their own countries in pursuit of safety.
These forgotten homeless children are in extreme risk of exploitation for sexual and commercial purposes. Kids as young as eight find themselves forced into gang violence or the sex industry, with little hope of escape.
Since 1981, our Casa Alianza (Spanish for Covenant House) programs have been providing shelter, protection and rehabilitation for children and teenagers in Latin America who are abused, abandoned, trafficked, addicted or left to the streets.
Our team is a group of internationally recognized experts in children's human rights – passing critical legislation to establish and enforce policies that protect kids and punish traffickers.
The vulnerable children and teens that we serve are always our priority. In the face of poverty, neglect and violence, we make it our mission to offer every homeless child the absolute respect and unconditional love they deserve.
Travel to Latin America on a Camino a Casa
In situations of emergency, Casa Alianza cares for any child or teenager, regardless of age, until that child can be safely transferred to a center that can address their specific needs.
Our Casa Alianza programs are unique, offering an open door to children in crisis 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We've developed a dynamic model – our Continuum of Care – that includes Crisis Care as well as all the long-term counseling, tools and support children need to create new lives – free of violence and poverty.
Each of our Latin American Outreach programs identify at-risk children living in some of the poorest, most dangerous areas imaginable: garbage dumps, highways, makeshift cardboard houses, etc. Our teams build relationships and work to transition these kids from life on the streets to life at Casa Alianza.
Pre-Community provides a critical bridge from the streets for homeless children. They can come to Casa Alianza and receive immediate-need services, including hot meals, clothing, counseling and workshops on trafficking.
All of our sites have at least one residential center, with our doors open to children in need 24/7. The goal of these services is to help every child overcome their crisis, achieve emotional and physical stability, and return to the world to achieve their dreams.
Our centers operate a three-level approach to provide maximum care and support:
We establish contact with families whenever possible, and work with both the children and families toward reintegration. If reintegration within the family is not possible, the child or teen stays at Casa Alianza to work on their long-term plan.
We work to ensure that young adults leaving Casa Alianza have the necessary tools, education, training and employment to live independently. Our staff assists youth in finding long-term housing and offers support with budgeting, job retention skills and beyond.
In order to provide comprehensive care for children and teens with multiple challenges and problems, Casa Alianza Latin America has developed a dynamic model of holistic care with professional teams providing physical, emotional, social and spiritual support to our youth. This multi-disciplinary approach of Casa Alianza forms the basis for all of our work and includes the following components:
Your gift today provides immediate crisis care and transformative services for youth facing homelessness.
Donate Now
Our movement depends on courageous people like you. Learn how to combat youth homelessness and trafficking.
Advocate