A temporary shelter and respite for children making a real break from street life

Children make a complete break from the streets when they join a Refuge. Here, they have to leave behind any drugs and destructive relationships from the streets. It is tough to learn to stay under a roof again and to leave behind street ways and street friends. 24/7 intensive care is needed and the staff here do an incredible job as they support the children who often release a lot of anger and pain at this stage. It is often during this time that the children really start to open up and share their stories. They are given psychological as well as spiritual and emotional support as they deal with past memories.

“… a positive experience that will mark their lives for good and will be summarized in three words: opportunity, hope, love.”
Julia Marcia Goytia Ferraz, Director of Cochabamba Refuge

Refuges are important because they provide a temporary place where children can come and spend that vital time away from the streets with round the clock support. When addiction plays a role in the life of a child, intensive care is so important, not just so that the child has all they need to come through it, but to ensure that they are not tempted to re-join the street communities. Refuges provide that transitional period from which the children can start afresh either back with their families, or where that is not possible, in a Toybox supported home. Toybox always strives to re-unite children with their families but where this is not possible, we provide residential care and support for the children, with ‘house parents’ who become their ‘Mum’ and ‘Dad’. See Toybox Homes for more information.

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A Refuge fulfils the following purposes:

• A temporary shelter for children who have left their homes for whatever reason and are in danger of becoming street children
• A centre where children can receive professional help and advice according to their needs, and plan for the future
• A place for short-term help before restoring the child to their family (the preferred option but with appropriate support)
• A place for medium-term care, support and assessment – up to six months – for abandoned and orphaned children or those for whom returning home is not possible. For these children, foster care or other options will be made available
  A place of safety, in all ways, where the children can live, play, receive additional education, instruction and help
• A place for one-to-one attention seven days a week where children will receive holistic, physical, spiritual and social guidance including medical help and advice. Within a family-like setting, the staff will seek to give each child integral and quality attention