Since joining Casa Alianza, Daysi never skipped school. Now 20, she is in her second year of high school. This is an exceptionally high grade for a young adult in Honduras. Fewer than two in five Honduran children complete primary school. But it is not all study at the simulated homes.
Children also play sports and are taught to sing and to do arts and crafts.
Wherever possible, Casa Alianza works directly with families to help them resolve problems. This is in line with a program launched in 1991 to help reunite street children with their families. The program has resulted in an average of 15 children a month returning to their families. Financed 100 percent by the Social Investment Fund, the program has become a model for child-care services in other Latin American countries. Families move slowly but steadily through the program.