Supporting Working Mothers in Guatemala

Community and family strengthening programs, like our new Center for Daily Child Care, help families outside our walls find the stability they need to stay healthy and stay together.

Reported by Sofia López
Communication Officer, NPH Guatemala

May 1, 2019

With 2019 comes big ideas and new programs to further help our neighboring communities. NPH Guatemala has opened its doors to the young children of Chimaltenango through our Center for Daily Child Care (CCID).

“NPH is a place where people receive love, security, and support. I am very happy to be in charge of this program to help others,” said Yesika Andrade, Coordinator of CCID, who has been working in the NPH homes for 20 years. The CCID is open to children ages one to four, providing them with structure while their mothers are busy working.

Entering the Program

NPH Guatemala formed this new program as a response to the concern of many single mothers who did not have an adequate, safe, and reliable place to leave their children while they work. To be part of this program, the mother makes a request to NPH and the social work department conducts a socioeconomic study to determine if the family qualifies for the types of support that we offer.

“Before being part of CCID, I did not have anywhere to leave my daughter. Sometimes I took her to work but it was very difficult and I was always afraid that something bad would happen to her,” said one mother, a teacher, who leaves her daughter in our care while she works.

The CCID Team

To guarantee a high quality of service and attention, the CCID team comprises a group of trained professionals who lovingly care for and teach the children day-to-day. The team includes:

• 2 teachers
• 2 year-of-service young adults (NPH young adults in their service year who gain work experience before college)
• 1 nanny
• 1 coordinator

Itinerary

The CCID is open Monday through Friday. Children enter at 6:45 a.m. and leave at 5:00 p.m. During their stay, children participate in a variety of active, fun, and educational activities, including:

• Crafts
• Personal hygiene lessons
• Mathematics and reading
• Social skill development
• Yoga classes

The children also receive four nutritious snacks, which will help them develop properly and decrease the risk of malnutrition. The snack menu has been reviewed by the food committee and is led by Dr. Lauren Gómez, a general practitioner at NPH Guatemala.

“The CCID is a blessing; every day my daughter is excited to attend and when the weekend comes she gets sad,” said Janeth Coosemans, mother of little Fernanda* who attends our center every week. “I feel so satisfied with and grateful for all the support.”

Through further development of community and family strengthening programs, the work that Father Wasson began in Cuernavaca, Mexico, in 1954 extends further. We are proud of the support we are able to bring to children in our homes and to families outside our walls, not just here in Guatemala, but all across Latin America and the Caribbean.

Related Information:
• NPH Guatemala
• Outreach Programs
• How Your Help Makes an Impact at NPH

• More News

Photo above: Children are given a variety of fun activities to help develop new skills. Photos below: The Center for Daily Child Care at NPH Guatemala, known by the acronym CCID in Spanish; trained professionals staff the new center; time for fun and laughter; Carlitos* enjoys a healthy and nutritious lunch; Rosita* learns to brush her teeth by herself; children participating in a yoga class;

*Children’s names have been changed to protect their privacy.

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