Provide Foster Families in Brazil

Dear Donors,

At Instituto Fazendo História, we believe that every child deserves to grow up in a safe, loving, and nurturing environment. Through our Foster Family Service, we provide temporary family-based care for children aged 0 to 6 who have been separated from their biological families due to situations of vulnerability. Instead of being placed in institutional shelters, these children are welcomed into the homes of registered foster families, where they receive individualized attention, emotional support, and a stable routine while legal and social measures are taken to define their future.

Currently, we have 25 registered foster families and provide care for around 25 children. Our team works closely with the foster families, biological families, and the child protection system to ensure that each child’s best interests are met—whether through safe family reunification or other long-term solutions.

Your generous support enables us to strengthen these families, provide training and resources to foster caregivers, and advocate for a model of care that prioritizes the well-being and development of children in vulnerable situations.

Below, we share a touching story that highlights the transformative power of family-based care.

In our Foster Family Service, we recently welcomed a baby named Paulo Marcos, who was placed directly with one of our registered foster families upon leaving the maternity ward. His mother, Kamila, was struggling with substance abuse, which impaired her ability to care for him. However, Kamila had a loving and supportive extended family always willing to assist her, as well as her former partner, Ronaldo, who is currently incarcerated.

From the beginning, Kamila expressed that Ronaldo’s family had great potential to care for Paulo Marcos. The Instituto Fazendo História Foster Family Service team worked tirelessly to reach out to the baby's paternal relatives because he deserved to grow up in an environment filled with love, care, and security.

We managed to contact Márcia, Paulo Marcos’s paternal aunt, who immediately showed enthusiasm and a strong willingness to take him in, providing him with the care, stability, and nurturing environment he needed.

Everything seemed to be moving toward a joyful family reunification. However, what our team hadn’t anticipated was that, since Ronaldo was imprisoned in a facility outside the state of São Paulo, he had been unable to officially register Paulo Marcos at the civil registry.

This lack of legal documentation meant that, on paper, there was no recognized familial bond between Márcia and the baby, preventing an immediate reunification. To expedite the process, we suggested a DNA test to establish the necessary legal recognition, allowing Paulo Marcos to finally be with his family.

To everyone’s joy, the test results confirmed the biological connection between Paulo Marcos and Márcia. As their bond grew, it became clear that Paulo Marcos truly belonged with this family.

The transformation in him was undeniable. Once a serious, quiet baby who rarely smiled, he suddenly lit up.

The moment he was placed in his aunt’s arms, his expression changed entirely—smiles spread across his face, and that long-awaited embrace finally happened.

That hug, which he had unknowingly longed for, felt natural, comforting, and like the safest place in the world.

We closed this chapter of Paulo Marcos’s story with immense happiness, knowing that every possible effort was made to ensure his well-being. However, our work doesn’t stop here.  

Your continued support is vital to our mission of strengthening families and ensuring the full development of children. This includes access to essential services and resources that help facilitate these reunifications, foster emotional bonds, and provide children with the security they need while legal proceedings are underway.

Thank you for being part of our mission to build a brighter future for these children!

With gratitude,

The Instituto Fazendo História Team