Growing Up and Growing Stronger: Camila’s Story

Last month, we celebrated the first anniversary of our expansion into Michoacán, Mexico. In May 2021, we signed a contract with the government of Michoacán to pioneer family-style care in the capital city of Morelia.

We are so grateful the government understands the importance of family and wants a better future for the children of Michoacán. Just last week, we signed a contract extension with the government, ensuring that even more orphaned and vulnerable children will get out of orphanages and into families.

And this is all possible because of your continued support! Thanks to you, more children like Camila* will grow up knowing the love of a family.

Camila’s Story

When Camila was just two months old, she was placed in an orphanage after being abandoned by her mother. Her extended family could not care for her, and at the time, the only legal option in Michoacán was institutional care.

While the orphanage provided a roof over Camila’s head and met her basic physical needs, this type of care is extremely harmful to children. There is clear and compelling research on the damaging physical, emotional, and psychological effects of traditional, institutional orphan care.

The first months and years of a child’s life are critical to their development. During that time, kids learn how to express emotion, communicate their needs, and bond with others. In an orphanage, those skills often don’t develop properly because children aren’t receiving the individual care, attention, and love found in a family environment.

Because Camila was placed in the orphanage at such a young age, her future was at risk. But thankfully, once we began to pioneer family-style care in Michoacán, there was a better option!

After signing the initial contract with the government, our team in Morelia found a found a loving family to open their home and hearts to Camila. Camila was placed with the Hernández family* last fall, and she immediately began to thrive.

Growing Up and Growing Stronger

Camila began to trust her foster family, developing a sense of safety and security. She also bonded with her two foster sisters as she learned what it means to be part of a family structure. She discovered how to give and receive love.

As she grew more comfortable with her family, Camila improved developmentally as well. Her speech improved, her vocabulary increased, and her language began to flow. She was able to socialize with her family and play with other children her age.

Physically, Camila grew five inches in just the span of a few months. She also gained several pounds due to the care and nutrition she was receiving. She became more independent and her confidence grew as she was able to perform more tasks by herself. Thanks to the love of a family, Camila became stronger…physically and emotionally.

Finding Her Forever Family

After a few months with the Hernández family, Camila was adopted by her forever family. We are so happy that this beautiful little girl will always know she is loved and cherished.

This is all possible because of you! You are changing the lives of so many children like Camila. Thank you for being a hero to orphaned and vulnerable children around the world.

Together, we are changing the way the world cares for orphans!

 *Names have been changed to protect the privacy of the child.