Haciendo habitar en familia.
Haciendo habitar en familia. Living in Family.
This is more than a tagline for Casa Bernabe. This is the foundation that our ministry is built on and it is what sets our ministry apart.
Casa Bernabe evolved into providing residential family care in 1998. Before this time, the type of care that was provided had a more institutionalized focus. However, over time, we became convinced that the family model was more effective because the child and all his different needs are best taken care of by a family, and in this way, the children are given an opportunity to mature and develop within a family setting rather than an institutionalized one. Over time we have seen strong and effective links form between parents and their children, aiding in their development and growth in Casa Bernabe.
So what does this look like in practice?
Casa Bernabe's resident children live, learn, worship, and heal in a home-based setting with the guidance of loving Christian house parents. We have 8 different family housing units on campus in which we strategically place children. 89 children, ranging from infant to 20 years old, currently live onsite within one of our families. Each home is led by a Guatemalan Christian couple whose role is that of parents. They help provide structure, love, discipline, security, and guidance to their biological children and the eight to ten children placed in Casa Bernabe’s care by the courts.
The house parents help with homework, lead devotionals, play games, rub backs before bed, administer medicine when the kids are sick, teach their kids how to use the bathroom, and tie their shoes. They help the teenagers when they need advice and teach them basic life skills such as laundry, cleaning, and or cooking. The house parents are in constant communication with their children's psychologist, working to figure out the best ways to meet each individual's needs.
Additionally, these are the relationships that are the bedrock of security for our children. So much so that after our children age out, it is often their house parents who they seek out when they need help.
Our house parents are the heartbeat of Casa Bernabe. They are the scaffolding that every other activity, program, or initiative is built off of. Every child that comes through our gate has a skewed sense of what family is, of what parenting should look like. Our house parents serve at ground zero, ensuring that the psychological, nutritional, spiritual, and educational pieces all come together to produce healthy, socially-contributing, independent individuals. The house parents by their very existence in our children’s lives reframe what family is supposed to look like, what love looks like, and how it feels to be unconditionally cared for. This is where the relationship of change lies, is fostered, and takes root.
Our bottom line on family:
Our focus is on raising sons and daughters of God, within stable, healthy, and productive families, so that someday these same children will grow into adults that will bless their communities, impact their nations, and above all glorify God.
If you would like to help support one of our families though a Hope Sponsorship, you may do so here.