Casa Alianza México is a Covenant House International affiliate, and is therefore supervised and strengthened by it. Fundación Casa Alianza México works with the mission of diminishing the social abandonment in which some children live, such as extreme poverty, violence, abuse, and exploitation which often force children away from their homes and onto the streets. Once on the streets, gang violence, organized crime and unscrupulous individuals create conditions of extreme vulnerability for poor, homeless, and abandoned youth. Unsurprisingly, studies and our own experience show a direct correlation between being homeless and governmental lack of Accountability to act as a “caregiver”.

Hence, Casa Alianza México seeks to contribute to the protection and care of homeless children in situations of social abandonment, through principles that have been proven and replicated in an open door methodology, that reinstates them into society in a functional, self-sufficient and sustainable way

We work with four different stages of this process, briefly described below:

1. CALLE
Our infrastructure allows for our “counsellors” to reach over 300 children a month that are observed to be socially abandoned and living on the streets. Given the premise that “streets are no place for children” we go out to greet homeless children and offer them the services provided in our “pre community” homes. No material goods are offered at this stage, we just let them know that they have an alternative with us to exercise all of their human rights

2. PRE COMUNIDAD
It provides a controlled space for children on the streets, with a warm and welcome environment. Reducing risk factors and eliminating the consumption of illegal substances, healthy meals are provided, along with thorough explanations of what living under stage 3 (Residencial) is like. We answer all of their questions and set out all of the rules/objectives that must be followed in order to be able to move on to stage 3. Many children decide to go back to the streets, several times, before finally accepting to move to stage 3. During their stay at “Pre Comunidad”, children are able to carry out several activities to keep them temporarily off the street and make them conscious of their rights as human beings. Some of these activities include workshops, games, occupational therapies and exercise.

3. RESIDENCIAL
“Residencial” offers children the opportunity to live in a safe, clean and dignified space. Personal attention is given to each child. We have an average of 132 children in this stage, who live in a secure and trustworthy “home” so that they may design their own paths in life once they have respect in a loving environment from our team members who look after them and aid them to achieve a dignified way of living, with medical, psychological, academical and family support.

4. VIDA INDEPENDIENTE
The final stage, represents the climax of rehabilitation, physical strengthening, mental, academic and spiritual process, providing all participants with the necessary skills to face the outside world and be able to become productive and completely independent. The main objective at this stage is to promote, coordinate and follow up on social reinsertion of young men and women that have lived in one of our homes, into society. More than just receiving an education and job training, young adults will also polish social and cultural skills that will allow their re-insertion in society to be much easier. This final stage also contemplates a period of support to accompany our graduates to aid them to carry on basic tasks, such as finding and renting their first home and purchase furniture for it.