How Children Come to Casa Hogar

Our supporters and visitors to Casa Hogar always ask how children come to live at Casa Hogar.  Many people are surprised to hear that the majority of our children are not “true-orphans.”  There are many different definitions of orphans and our children each have their own stories and their own struggles to overcome.  Unfortunately, all of our children have faced the harsh reality of separation from their family.  The following definitions of orphans will help to explain some of the reasons why our children have come to call Casa Hogar Juan Pablo II their home:

True orphans: children whose parents are both deceased

Relinquished orphans: children whose parents have forfeited their parental rights to the government

Decreed orphans: children whose custody rights were taken away from their parents by law

Social orphans: children who come from high-risk situations such as extreme poverty, single parents, no extended family, parental mental or physical illness, lack of education, lack of home

Forced orphans: children who are sold or illegally removed from their family

The majority of the children at Casa Hogar are social orphans, true orphans or decreed orphans.  In Peru there is no foster-care system so when the family diminishes and the children are left in high-risk households, rather than entering into the foster-care system, as in the US, their only option is to either continue living in a bad situation or to be sent to the streets.

Since we only have space for 72 children, we are not able to accept all of the children in need to come live at Casa Hogar.  We, however, never leave a child in need without an alternative option.  Casa Hogar has a great working relationship with many of the other orphanages and social service providers; we are able to refer all cases to the help that they need.

 Life Before Casa Hogar

Each of our children have their own story, but they all share the fact that they have suffered greatly in their past.  Below you will find a few stories of our children’s lives prior to their arrival at Casa Hogar.  These are all true stories of our children’s past, however small details and names have been altered to protect their privacy.  Take a moment to read about some of the histories of our children.

• Ariana came to live at Casa Hogar at the age of five. Abandoned by her father before she was born and her young mother lives in extreme poverty, jumping between jobs to make ends meet. Ariana had already moved at least six times prior to coming to live at Casa and often spent time living in the street. After just a few months of living at Casa and overcoming some of her fears, Ariana has adapted well and warmed up to the family teachers. She can now usually be found smiling and often practicing to learn the prayers and songs in church…very loudly and just a bit off key :).

• Mental illness and extreme poverty are both very prevalent problems in the city of Lima. For José, finding the next meal meant searching through the garbage for anything edible. He had been living with his mother, but she suffers from schizophrenia and was not able to provide for herself or her two children. At the age of nine José came to live at Casa Hogar along with his older sister. Both of the children have spent most of their childhood at Casa Hogar. José enjoys living at Casa Hogar because he learns many things that he can use to have the successful future that he dreams of.

• Alexandra and Carolina came to live at Casa together when they were 9 and 7 years old. Their father has significant problems with drug addiction and their mother was physically and emotionally abusive. Having no steady job, she was dependent on her on again/off again live in boyfriend who was violent with the girls. They would spend time with their grandmother but she is elderly and has terminal illnesses that make it challenging to care for the girls and provide them with the basic needs, love and care they deserve. For several years prior to coming to Casa, they did not attend school on a regular basis and as a result both have learning disabilities. We are hopeful with some extra tutoring through our education volunteers and attention from the family teachers they will be able to thrive together.

• Miguel lived happily with his family until his mother fell ill with Parkinson’s disease. As his mother’s health declined, his father turned to alcohol to deal with the situation. Due to their father’s alcoholism, it was no longer safe for the children to stay with them. Miguel and his sister went to live with their grandmother, but she lives in a very dangerous part of town and was not able to give them the basic necessities. They have both now lived at Casa for over 6 years and are happily working toward their own future goals. Miguel wants to become a doctor!

• Roberto and his little brother Marco were left orphaned after their mother passed away from tuberculosis. Terminally ill adults who were taken in off the streets. The boys were often times the only children in the home with exposure to disease, germs and no real space to be children. After their mother passed away, the director of the home cared for the boys as best she could. They came to live at Casa and their first year was very difficult because they were not used to having rules, doing homework or playing with other children. Overtime, Marco began to develop a deep love and affection for his family teachers and adapted to the environment. He has now moved back up a grade level in school to the appropriate class for his age. Roberto struggled more so often acting out and losing control. With a great deal of attention and care, he has begun to adapt and find things that he really likes about living at Casa like music, dancing (he rivals Michael Jackson!) and all the healthy meals that he knows he will receive on a regular basis.

• Katrina and her younger brother Andres had a difficult life before they came to live at Casa Hogar. When they were young, they lived with both of their parents, but soon after Andres was born their mother completely abandoned her kids. At the time she left, their father was in prison as an accused rapist. They went to live with their aunt, however she does not make enough money to provide for them. Her only job is selling candy on the streets, and she could not provide food for the kids. They came to live at Casa Hogar and are now happy, healthy kids.