Provide Foster Families in Brazil

Dear Donor,

At Instituto Fazendo História, we believe that every child deserves to grow up in a safe, caring, and nurturing environment. Through our Foster Family Care Service, we provide temporary family-based care for children aged 0 to 6 who have been separated from their families of origin due to situations of risk and social vulnerability. In place of institutional shelter care, these children are welcomed into the homes of trained foster families supported by our team, where they receive individualized attention, emotional support, and a healthy daily routine while legal and social measures are carried out to determine their long-term paths.

Currently, we have 25 registered foster families and supported approximately 22 children over the past year. Our multidisciplinary team works closely with foster families, families of origin, and the child protection system to ensure that all decisions are guided by the best interests of each child, whether through safe family reunification or adoption when appropriate.

Your support is essential to strengthening these families, providing ongoing training, and sustaining a care model that prioritizes the well-being and holistic development of children living in vulnerable circumstances.

One example of this work is the story of Rafaela, a five-year-old girl who is intelligent, sensitive, and remarkably mature for her age.

Rafaela lived with her parents in central São Paulo in a context marked by an unstable relationship and episodes of domestic violence. Her mother, herself a victim of this violence, made a difficult and courageous decision to leave the home in order to protect her daughter. Together, they faced the harsh reality of homelessness, alternating between temporary shelters and experiencing a period of extreme insecurity.

Despite these challenges, Rafaela’s mother consistently demonstrated care and affection. She ensured her daughter remained enrolled in school, sought healthcare when needed, and remained attentive to her nutrition and well-being. At one particularly critical moment, without a permanent place to live, she asked the school for help so Rafaela could take a shower. This request for support ultimately led to Rafaela being referred to our foster care service.

Since then, our team has been working intensively to strengthen emotional bonds, support the mother’s mental health, and rebuild her self-esteem so she can reorganize her life and resume caring for her daughter. With our support, she has secured stable housing, is preparing to re-enter the workforce, and continues to work toward rebuilding her autonomy and confidence.

In the meantime, Rafaela has been welcomed by a dedicated foster family who has met all her needs for care, attention, and affection. This family has played a crucial role in ensuring that Rafaela experiences safety, stability, and hope during this transitional period. She is a joyful, energetic child who eagerly looks forward to the day she can return to live with her mother.

We believe that Rafaela will soon be able to reunite with her mother, strengthened by the support received throughout this process. Her story reminds us that foster family care does not break family bonds; it protects them, sustains them, and helps build pathways for families to reorganize and for children to grow up with dignity.

Thank you for being part of our mission to transform stories like Rafaela’s and to ensure that every child has the right to a safe childhood full of possibilities.

Dear donors,

We are pleased to share the progress of the Provide Foster Families in Brazil project, made possible thanks to your support.

Instituto Fazendo História works to ensure care and protection for children temporarily separated from their families due to situations of risk. In 2025, through the Provide Foster Families in Brazil project, 30 new foster placements were carried out with the support of partners and foster families who generously opened their homes and hearts.

Our commitment is to expand the number of children welcomed by trained families able to provide protection, affection, and restorative care. To achieve this, we continue to engage new partners and volunteers. This effort was recently highlighted in a national TV feature, which increased public awareness of the importance of family foster care (watch here: https://globoplay.globo.com/v/13856083 )

One example is the story of Vitória, who arrived in our service at just over two years old.

Small and fragile, Vitória had already faced more challenges than many people encounter in a lifetime. She needed constant health care and, above all, affection and security.

Her biological family, marked by extreme poverty, mental health difficulties, and substance abuse, could not provide the protection she needed, despite all their effort and love. It was in this context that Vitória found care and protection in a foster family that welcomed her with affection and helped her flourish.

Over time, we worked to strengthen her family of origin, with the hope of reunification. But relapses and deep struggles made reintegration impossible. The hardest decision had to be made: Vitória was referred for adoption, ensuring her the chance to grow up with stability and love.

Today, Vitória has the opportunity to live her childhood in a new family able to provide care, protection, affection, and the possibility of dreaming about the future. Her journey reminds us of how essential it is to have a foster care system capable of protecting without judgment, supporting families, and guaranteeing children the right to a safe and happy childhood.

Thank you for being part of our mission to build a better future for every child!

Warm regards,