The Creche of the Holy Family is home to some 100 children under the age of 6. Many were abandoned, while others are from poor or troubled families who cannot take care of them. Children are brought to the home by the families, by the social service department or, as in Blanca's case, by the police. Sometimes family members come to visit their children. The Creche of the Holy Family also includes a pre-school daycare center where children of the hospital staff are welcome, as are children from poor families.
Toys line the hallways, and children are easily picked up and cuddled by staff and volunteers.
In traditional Arab society it is impossible and even dangerous for an unmarried woman to keep her child, and it can be dangerous for the child, said Diana Mubarak, director of the social welfare department of Bethlehem. Women have been killed for being considered to have dishonored their family by becoming pregnant out of wedlock. Most women who abandon their children do so out of desperation to save not only their lives, but that of their child as well, she said. Some 20 babies are found abandoned on average per year, she said. The home is supported solely through private donations.