Our History and Evolution
Discover how NPH began, how our mission evolved, and how our commitment to children and families shapes our work across Latin America and the Caribbean.
In 1954, a young boy named Carlos entered a church in Cuernavaca, Mexico, driven by hunger to take money from the collection box.
Instead of punishment, he found compassion. Father William B. Wasson, a newly ordained priest, asked the court for custody of Carlos so he could provide food, care, and a home. The judge agreed and soon entrusted more children to Father Wasson’s care.
By the end of the year, 32 boys were living together as a family, and Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos in Spanish or known in French as Nos Petits Frères et Sœurs—“Our Little Brothers and Sisters”—was born.
That first decision still guides NPH today: meet children where they are, lead with love and dignity, and walk alongside them toward a more hopeful future.
Key Milestones in Our Journey
This timeline reflects how NPH has grown alongside the children and families we serve, responding to needs and expanding care over time.
As NPH’s work expanded beyond Mexico, a growing community of supporters in the United States stepped forward to help sustain and strengthen that mission. In 1965, NPH USA, then Friends of the Orphans, was incorporated in Arizona to support the work of NPH. In the years that followed, additional fundraising organizations were established across the U.S., as well as in Canada and Europe, allowing more people to connect with and support NPH’s work.
In 2005, those regional efforts were unified under NPH USA, strengthening coordination, transparency, and shared purpose. Today, NPH USA partners with donors, volunteers, and institutions across the United States to raise funds, build awareness, and walk alongside the children and families served by NPH.
With this support, NPH has grown into a family of homes and programs across Bolivia, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Peru.
Each location reflects the same commitment of providing stability, education, healthcare, and belonging so children and families can grow into their potential and strengthen their communities.
These programs and partnerships reflect how NPH continues to grow alongside the children and families we serve. Each initiative builds on our history and responds to the evolving needs of communities across Latin America and the Caribbean.
Homes and Communities Across Latin America and the Caribbean
NPH’s homes and communities offer children safe, loving places to grow, learn, and belong.
St. Damien Pediatric Hospital
St. Damien Pediatric Hospital shows how NPH’s mission has grown to include life-saving healthcare for children and families in Haiti.
Get Involved and Be Part of the Mission
NPH’s work is made possible by donors, volunteers, and partners who walk alongside children and families.
NPH’s story is still being written by the children and families we serve. As well as by the supporters who walk alongside them. Your involvement helps sustain this work today and into the future.
Learn more about how NPH is structured, how we measure impact, and how our mission continues to grow through the people and programs behind the work.
Our Programs
Meet the NPH USA Team
See Our Impact in Action
Discover News and Stories
Support Children Through NPH USA
Your gift helps provides health care, education, and family-centered support for children and communities across Latin America and the Caribbean.