Provide Foster Families in Brazil

Dear Donor,

At Instituto Fazendo História, we believe that every child deserves to grow up in a safe, welcoming, and caring environment. Through our Foster Family Care Service, we provide temporary family-based care for children from birth to age six who have been separated from their families of origin due to situations of risk and social vulnerability.

Instead of remaining in residential care institutions, these children are welcomed into trained foster families that receive ongoing support from our multidisciplinary team. In this environment, children receive individualized attention, affection, stability, and a healthy routine while the necessary legal and social measures are taken to determine the next steps in their lives.

Our work also includes closely supporting families of origin and collaborating with the child protection network. Every decision is guided by the best interests of each child, whether that means a safe return to their family or adoption, when appropriate.

To illustrate the impact of this work, we would like to share an update on a story we first featured on our page in January 2026, in the post “Family-Based Care That Protects and Rebuilds Lives”: Rafaela’s Story.

Rafaela is a fictitious name used to protect the child’s identity.

Rafaela entered family-based care after experiencing many situations of vulnerability alongside her mother, who, despite all her efforts, was unable to prevent her daughter from being placed in care.

Rafaela was cared for by her foster family for one year and four months. During this time, she received care, affection, and attention, and all her basic rights were protected. While Rafaela was in care, the service’s technical team carried out intensive, attentive, and respectful work with her mother, helping her become stronger and prepare to welcome her daughter home. The bond of love and belonging between them had always been undeniable.

With the support she received and as she rebuilt her self-esteem, Rafaela’s mother made significant progress during this period. This allowed us to understand that Rafaela’s return would be safe, protective, and in her best interests.

The relationship between Rafaela’s family of origin and her foster family was also strengthened, enabling them to work together in caring for her. After the foster care period ended, this relationship became an ongoing support network for Rafaela and her mother.

Now six years old, Rafaela is back home with her mother. She is safe, surrounded by affection and a sense of belonging, and supported by an attentive and caring network.

Seeing children return safely to their families of origin fills our hearts because it reinforces the purpose of this work: to minimize the impact of gaps in state protection and help ensure that all families have access to their rights and can enjoy healthy family and community life.

Sharing stories like this is important because it helps demonstrate the impact of social work with families of origin. It also highlights how strengthening these families can help restore their sense of dignity, self-esteem, and confidence in caring for their children and loved ones.

To you, our dear donor, we offer our sincere thanks for making stories like Rafaela’s and her mother’s possible. By being part of our mission, you help provide protection, care, and new opportunities to children and families during some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives, helping ensure that every child has the right to a safe and protected childhood filled with hope.

With our heartfelt thanks,