From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Casa viva
Casa viva
Casa Viva is a non-profit organization based in Wheaton, Developing Family Based Child Care In-
Illinois and San Jose, Costa Rica. Casa Viva seeks to place
children who have been separated from their families in-
ternational
to a safe, caring family. Casa Viva is Spanish for “Living Alternative to Orphanages
Families” or “Living Homes.” The model of international
Orphanages, whether private or government run, are in-
child care that Casa Viva has created:
stitutions that are expensive to run and the good ones
• Doesn’t rely on ongoing American funding
often become inundated with children sent there by the
• Is nationally based
authorities. This reduces the quality of care and leaves
• Uses the social network of Christian churches to
the institution and its staff overworked and under
identify and train families
equipped. While the physical needs of the child are met,
Casa Viva primarily cares for social orphans, and also
often psychological needs of a child, the privacy of a
cares for true orphans.
child, and integration into their home culture are found
to be lacking.[1] This led Casa Viva to begin creating a
Casa Viva’s History program, similar to England and the United State’s foster
care model, but with two primary differences:
In 1998 Philip and Jill Aspegren moved to the Dominican
• Church based
Republic to build an orphanage and train nationals to
• Little financial incentive
care for the children there with Kids Alive. But there had
In some cases, the financial benefit of already-established
to be a better way: a less expensive, less institutional,
government-based fostering has become a primary moti-
quicker way to care for children internationally. They be-
vator for families to be host foster families.[2] Casa Viva
gan to dream of a childcare model that does not require
does help families cover the cost of caring for the child
new buildings and that places children in families rather
but relies heavily on Biblical motivation and mandates to
than in homes.
care for the orphan in need.
Moving to Costa Rica in 2005 they began to network
with local churches, recruiting families belonging to Children Raised in Families
those churches to care for children. Children who have
It has been shown that children raised in orphanages do
been separated from their biological families are placed
not develop as well physically, cognitively or emotional-
in families on a short term basis while their family is
ly as children raised in family based settings. [3]
identified and counseled. Children are also placed in Casa
Viva homes long term when it is impossible for the child
to be reunited with their biological family. Children Related International Child
placed in a Casa Viva home have the advantage of grow-
ing up in a home that is surrounded by extended family, Care Organizations
local church, and the support of the Casa Viva center. • Casa Viva - http://www.casaviva.org
• Kids Alive - http://www.kidsalive.org
Casa Viva Today •
•
Toybox - http://www.toyboxcharity.org.uk/
Viva network - http://www.viva.org
There are currently two Casa Viva Communities in Costa
Rica - one in Eastern San Jose and a second in Grecia.
In partnership with the Viva Network and Toybox it has References
identified Bolivia, Peru, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Mexico [1] Save The Children: A Last Resort
and Paraguay as the next sites of multiplication. [2] Lifting the Veil on Foster Care
[3] The House, The Street, Global Society: Latin
American families and childhood in the twenty-
first century
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Casa_viva&oldid=390579618"
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Casa viva
Categories:
• Wheaton, Illinois
• Family
• Child welfare
• Human development
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