THRIVING. Currently, Casa Hogar Eben-Ezer is located at the level of THRIVING. Children have private spaces for bathing, using the toilet, and dressing. However, the conditions of the children’s toilets needs improved since 2 existing urinals do not work. The dorms are separated by gender and age and the home has a policy which states that no adult can be alone with any child. They also have internal regulations posted that indicate visitors are not permitted to photograph children for any reason, and if photographs are required, they cannot show the faces of the children. It is also prohibited to provide personal information or exchange contact information with the children. The caregivers and the directors have received at least one training per year with all staff on the topic of violence and abuse prevention as well as positive parenting. For her part, Xxx is always available for 1 on 1 sessions with the caregivers and staff to answer any questions regarding the care of children or their role in the home. Recently, the home has retained the support of a psychologist who provides individual care to children most in need of psychological support or who request it. They continuously follow up with children who have been identified as having increased needs because of their family history or because they have a history of violence or abuse. However, it is still necessary to have a psychologist who specializes in adolescent and young adult treatment so that everyone has the opportunity to see a therapist, if needed. Casa Hogar Eben-Ezer is very vulnerable in terms of security related to the surrounding community. One section of the property is missing a wall to enclose the home, so they often have intruders on the backside of the property, which presents a high risk for the inhabitants of the house. Although this category is at a Thriving Level, in order to improve the vulnerability and security concerns of the property, it is important that Casa Hogar Eben-Ezer establish a perimeter fence to ensure that intruders cannot enter the property or harm the children. Implement a psychological care program that provides support to all children in the home Change two urinals in children’s toilets Right to Dignity & Freedom SURVIVING SUSTAINING
THRIVING. Currently, Buena Vida is at the level of THRIVING in this category. The facility has been inspected by a qualified person from Civil Protection. However, they will have to inspect it again once Xxxxxxx has completed the renovations that need to be completed at the home. The home also has safe drinking water for the children or staff to drink whenever they wish. Cristapuro provides the water and maintains the storage tank and water line. Their drainage method is safe and does not contaminate the drinking water. The house has two septic tanks in the house area and one tank in the camp area. In the event of a water outage, they have water accessible for drinking, and when possible, they store water in 55-gallon drums. In the event of a blackout or power outage, they have lamps available with a capacity of up to 1 hour. The facilities are currently solar-powered, but spare batteries are needed for the panels, and Xxxxxxx would like a generator for emergency power. The buildings were constructed mostly of cement blocks, so the material loss would be minimal in the event of a fire. The perimeter of the property is walled with cement walls at an ideal height, ensuring safety and privacy for the children. In addition, there is very good lighting throughout the property, but 4 exterior emergency lamps are needed. As for general maintenance of the facilities, the directors have the support of Xxxxxx Xxxxx and Xxxx, a xxxxx adult from the home. They are currently working on replacing sinks and shower heads in the dormitories. With this work, they realized that 10 toilet bowls needed to be replaced in the home, which Xxxxxxx noted as necessary. Xxxxxxx mentioned that a group of American electricians taught him new techniques, which he has been able to implement in the construction of his own house and in the home’s remodeling. For Buena Vida to maintain its thriving level, it will be necessary to get spare batteries for the solar panels and the emergency power generator. The home also needs to buy 4 outdoor lamps for emergencies, and finally, they need to buy the 10 toilet bowls that need to be replaced. Buy spare batteries for the solar panels and a power generator Buy 4 outdoor lamps for emergencies Buy 10 new toilet bowls Right to Quality Education SURVIVING SUSTAINING
THRIVING. Currently, Rancho de los Niños is at the SUSTAINING level in this category. They currently have access to medical, dental and vision care. For the physical area, children are seen annually for general review and in the case of dental and visual services, only those children who need it or show any important symptoms are seen. The children have received the necessary vaccinations according to their health cards and thus stay healthy. The staff of the home supports the children with the issue of hygiene and reminds the children of the importance of washing their hands and teeth. The home has identified a pediatrician and hospital to attend emergency cases, which from previous experiences have been reliable and sufficient to meet your health needs. Children brush their teeth at least twice a day and have been instructed on how to maintain good dental health. The home has an emergency medical fund that is available for use, and recently it was used to treat one of the girls for a broken arm. In the case of adolescent girls, they have the necessary personal hygiene products and have also been instructed on how to dispose of these products. There are currently six important cases in the home that need orthodontic checkups; however, there is no budget for this expense and the follow-up that is needed, since they are periods of more than one year of follow-up. Another important area of care is that the home does not have a complete first aid kit in case of emergency. When the DIF has supervised and reviewed this area, Xxxxx has had the support of the local fire department by lending this kit to pass the necessary reviews and audits; however this is not the property of the home, so it is a vulnerable area of attention to children in case of emergency. In order for Rancho de los Niños to advance to the next level in this category, it is necessary to have a complete first aid kit sufficient to meet the needs of the children at the ranch. In addition, funds are needed to send children with orthodontic needs to care and follow-up for treatment and to re-establish the emergency medical fund to make it available for possible eventualities. Having a first aid kit with materials and in sufficient quantities for the number of children in Rancho at an approximate cost of $1,500 USD Follow up for orthodontic treatment of 6 children and general dental treatment of 6 other children at a cost of $600 per month for orthodontics and $250 for general treatments until the end of the...
THRIVING. Currently, Casa Hogar Eben-Ezer is at the THRIVING Level. The home has the supporting documentation verifying that the property where the orphanage is located belongs to the institution and is intended only to provide a home to children and young people in an orphanage situation. Therefore, any improvement to the property and home will be for the benefit of children. In terms of licenses and permits, the home has a State Operating License and is in the process of revalidating it. They are also working on the validation of the civil protection plan and the relevant inspections by the authorities on security issues. They do not have the required safety equipment since the megaphone stopped working and the frequency radios do not work. Thus, they need to replace this equipment as soon as possible before inspection. As for the members of the team, the home has sufficient staff according to the ratio of children. The staff have an established vacation policy as well as the rest days required by law. However, these policies are not applied to the directors. While staff meetings are held consistently, they do not have a specific structure that supports the director in determining areas of opportunity and follow-up to the training processes with caregivers. In order for Casa Hogar Eben-Ezer to continue advancing in this category, it will be necessary to replace safety equipment in order to comply with safety regulations (megaphone and frequency radios). Additionally, the directors will need more training in leadership, management, and employee development issues. Buying frequency radios Buying Megaphone Train directors on issues of leadership, management, and employee development Strategic Initiatives PERIMETER WALL PROJECT DESCRIPTION Build a perimeter wall that provides security against the intrusion of people outside the home which will provide a safe and adequate space for the children, staff, and facilities of the home. This work needs to be done in the back of the home in order to prevent possible trespassing. that poses a risk to children and staff. This project will strengthen the security of the home and directly impacts areas of dignity and freedom, safe and adequate facilities, and the right to be free from abuse and neglect. ESTIMATED FUNDING $15,000+ EMERGENCY WATER SYSTEM FOR FIRES PROJECT DESCRIPTION In the event of a fire, it would be impossible for an emergency truck to reach the home due to the geographical location, which is located in a high ar...
THRIVING. Casa Hogar Sion is currently at the THRIVING level. The house has the documentation proving that the property where the orphanage is located belongs to the institution and is intended only to provide housing for children and young people in orphanage situations. Therefore, any improvement made to the place is and will only be for the benefit of the children. In terms of permits, the home has a current state operating license and has all its certifications in propane gas, electricity, infrastructure, civil protection plan, and firefighting. In addition, its staff and directors have been trained in emergency care measures, and with all of this, they are recognized as a safe place for the children they care for. Regarding the members of the caregiver team, Xxxxxx is in the process of hiring a new couple to be assigned to the care of the children who require more attention. This candidate couple is in the process of being evaluated for the position. In order for Casa Hogar Sion to continue advancing in this category, it is necessary to complement staff training with the topic of children’s rights and child participation in order to cover 100% of this category. Train staff on children’s rights and child participation. Strategic Initiatives SAFE AND CLEAN DRINKING WATER SYSTEM PROJECT DESCRIPTION To have a drinking water purification system that guarantees the necessary health and hygiene standards for human consumption and that does not represent any risk for children. This system must have easily accessible facilities and a continuous maintenance plan as well as water quality tests for human consumption. ESTIMATED FUNDING <$5,000 REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE OF TOILETS AND SHOWERS PROJECT DESCRIPTION Implement repair and maintenance works of all the bathrooms, sinks and showers of the home. For this purpose, it will be necessary to change multiple bathroom accessories, toilets, faucets and perform remodeling and construction works inside the showers of the children’s dorms. This project must guarantee the children’s right to privacy and provide functional bathrooms with the necessary equipment for their proper operation. ESTIMATED FUNDING $5,000 - $10,000 AUTOMATIC WATER STORAGE SYSTEM WITH AUTOMATIC FILLING PROJECT DESCRIPTION To have a water storage system to ensure that the home will always have water, even if there are water outages in the city, to meet all cleaning, hygiene and washing needs. This will then guarantee the right to health and the right to clean w...
THRIVING. This home is currently at the level of THRIVING. School-age children attend school on a regular basis. At the home, there is a teacher who supports the children throughout the week from 7 am to 6 pm and provides a personalized tutoring session at least once a week to each child. Children 7 years and older are able to identify and articulate the sound of each letter of the alphabet. Children 11 years and older are able to read and write at least at the third-grade level or above. All children 9 years and older are assessed and can perform basic addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division operations. In reading, the children are supported to develop skills according to their level of comprehension. Periodic activities are carried out with children who are not yet school age so that they reach their developmental goals and are prepared for school. To identify children with learning disabilities, the home’s teacher evaluates them through the Portage guide. When a child with a low IQ is detected, material is prepared according to their level of understanding to help them increase their comprehension and knowledge. The teacher discusses grades and progress with each child on a weekly basis while the director and assistant director provide follow-up support. Currently, the children have computer classes that have helped improve their technology skills significantly. The children read for 20 minutes daily, and the younger children are read to using age-appropriate reading techniques. The home has a variety of age-appropriate books in Spanish that are available and easily accessible to the children, as well as developmentally appropriate supplies, toys, and materials. At the moment, the home does not have funding or housing available for the boys who come of age and seek to further their education after their time at the home. However, they have formed an alliance with another local organization that helps support male young adults, at which point they have the opportunity to transfer to this other home. With the support of a volunteer host family, they have also been able to integrate one young man into a supportive family environment for his transition to adulthood. Maintain the current best practices in this area and document processes for future reference of success. Right to Equal Opportunities SURVIVING SUSTAINING
THRIVING. Rancho del Niño San Xxxxxxxx is at the SURVIVING level in this category. The current employees do not have a document describing their work, since the team performs a little of all the functions of the house. Although there is a vacation policy, it has only been applied in the case of the cook and the administrator, since the nuns in charge of the children’s care do not have a single day off. In the case of vacations, these have to be conditioned until they have some extraordinary support from their parish or the bishopric defines whether or not to send another nun to cover the vacations or absence of one of the mothers. As for staff training in child care standards, child participation, and other child-related topics, the team has received only minimal training and has had no follow-up or evaluation. Thus, they operate under common sense and in some cases using strategies that have worked with other children. Regarding licensing and governance requirements, the orphanage will soon begin the construction of the necessary plans and programs to have an internal civil protection plan. Also, the management and processing of other important documents to obtain its operating license. Although progress has already been made, it is necessary to have the support of an external consultant to carry out all the operational work and integration of documentation in order to achieve certification. In order for the orphanage to move up a level in this category, it is necessary to have an inter- disciplinary work team, a social worker, psychologist and nurse, who will join their efforts to make a correct distribution of work in the orphanage. This would cover important areas of management and training, in which each position provides feedback to the other and in turn helps the caregivers to improve their attention to the children by having less workload in other areas. Any progress in this area depends on hiring personnel and having a specific work plan for each area (social worker, psychologist, nurse, two caretakers and maintenance manager) which was already mentioned in other categories Hire the support of a local consultant to carry out the internal civil protection plan Strategic Initiatives HIRE TECHNICAL TEAM PROJECT OWNER Xxxxxxxx/Xxxxxx ESTIMATED FUNDING $5k-$10k Yearly IMPROVEMENT OF SECURITY MEASUREMENTS PROJECT OWNER Xxxxxxxx/Xxxx ESTIMATED FUNDING <$5k CIVIL PROTECTION INTERNAL PLAN PROJECT DESCRIPTION Xxxxxxxx/Xxxxxx ESTIMATED FUNDING <$5k (Only the cost to h...
THRIVING. In this category, Casa Hogar Eben-Ezer is at the level of THRIVING. On a regular basis, children receive annual medical checkups including lab tests, vision and lens fittings, and dental care. In these last two areas, priority has only been given to the most urgent or high-priority cases such as children who have dental pain or whose school performance is compromised due to visual problems. This home has historically had children with very particular and complex medical needs due to rare conditions. Such is the case of one girl with nephrotic syndrome who must be monitored on a permanent basis, a boy who will need heart surgery, and a girl with intellectual disabilities, all of whom constantly visit the doctor for follow-up. Over the past three years, most of the home’s budget has been directed to addressing these conditions. Additional support from other sources for emergency medical needs has become necessary. Recently, Casa Hogar Eben-Ezer received support in fundraising for medical, dental, and visual check-ups. As a result, 3 children were identified as needing orthodontic follow-up and treatment, which will require $300 USD per month for at least 1 year. In order for Casa Hogar Eben-Ezer to continue to advance in this category, the home will need to secure the necessary support to provide care for three children to receive orthodontic treatments and follow-up. Secure support for orthodontic care to cover 3 children in the amount of $300 USD per month for at least 1 year Right to Nutrition SURVIVING SUSTAINING THRIVING Casa Hogar Eben-Ezer is at the level of THRIVING in this category. Children receive nutritious and appetizing meals in a hygienic manner. Meals also include protein in different forms as well as sufficient vegetables and fruits. Children have the option to share their food preferences at least once a month and there is an accessible menu so children can see what meals they’ll have for the day. The home has all necessary cooking utensils, which are in good condition and kept clean and safe from contaminants. The kitchen area is clean, tidy, and free of pests. It has good storage, with detergents and cleaning liquids stored in a safe place. Casa Hogar Eben-Ezer is able to provide sufficient food for children through the direct support of two main donors who provide the home with perishable and non-perishable food on a weekly basis. Sometimes they receive more food than necessary, in which case Casa Hogar Eben-Ezer donates the food to othe...
THRIVING. Currently, Casa Hogar Eben-Ezer is at the THRIVING Level in this category. Xxx has been very careful with integrating children into family dynamics. Order and cleanliness are qualities she tries to instill with her children every day. Being such a large family, everyone is assigned household chores. Chores involve maintenance of the home as well their own spaces and are divided by age and gender. Children each have their own personal space to store their belongings. With Xxx’s direction, children keep their personal spaces organized. Xxx has also implemented an internal program of skills development activities for the transition to adulthood. Both women and men participate in these activities that promote self-sufficiency such as cooking, cleaning spaces, general maintenance of equipment, participation in purchases, organization of events, basic maintenance of cars, collection of donations, general repairs, and reception of suppliers. Thus, adolescents over the age of 15 are aware of the dynamics and operations of the home. In the case of the young woman with intellectual disabilities, Xxx and her team have gradually integrated daily activities that promote an independent life such as cooking. The young woman has also been given an opportunity to choose activities within the home that promote her independence, self-sufficiency, and leadership within the home. The adolescents of Casa Hogar Xxxx-Xxxx participate in natural disaster prevention training, including how to deal with a fire contingency or evacuation of the building and are part of the contingency brigades in the home emergency plan. Xxx recognizes that the children must be fully involved in the dynamics of the home. However, she also sees the need to balance that with extracurricular activities that the children can enjoy. For this reason, they have integrated activities within the home such as classes for English, drawing, painting, music and singing as well as other activities that help children learn new skills. In order for Casa Hogar Eben-Ezer to continue to remain at this level, it is only necessary to continue the program of extracurricular activities that promotes a healthy balance between responsibilities in the home as well as activities of personal interest and development. There are no next steps to follow in this category. Right to Guidance SURVIVING SUSTAINING
THRIVING. Currently, Casa Hogar Sion is at the SURVIVING level in this category. There are several important problems that need to be solved urgently in this category, as they may be a source of infection or disease for the children. The home does not have a safe drinking water system since the one it currently has is not adequate for human consumption. There are continual problems with bacteria in both the water cistern and its piping. This situation has caused health problems for some children in the past. Sewage from the neighborhood sewage system runs right under the house. Although Director Xxxxxx and Xxxxx have gone on numerous occasions to report and request support from the local authorities to solve this problem, no solution has been found. As for the facilities in general, they are functional. However, they require an urgent corrective and preventive maintenance plan to address the priorities of the home. This includes replacing at least 80% of the showerheads, sink faucets, and toilet bowls, which are either missing or useless. As for lighting to ensure the safety of children, at least three outdoor lighting fixtures are needed to improve this aspect. In order for Casa Hogar Sion to advance in this category, it needs to have a detailed maintenance plan highlighting its priorities for immediate attention. This includes replacing and installing all missing or broken bathroom fixtures so that the children can use the showers, toilets, and sinks, installing at least three light fixtures to improve outdoor lighting in courtyards and common areas, and last but not least, completely replacing the drinking water system to ensure that the children have clean water to drink. Create and implement an annual maintenance plan Placing three light fixtures in external common courtyards Follow up with local authorities on the issue of wastewater running under the home. Right to Quality Education SURVIVING SUSTAINING
