The Tia's (Caregivers)
The Tia's take care of the needs of the children of Casa de Fe. The Tias also wash laundry, clean, help feed, play with, and take care of all and everything. They are staffed around the clock to make sure that nothing is left undone. Since March 2020 have been working 9-day shifts coming in one evening and staying 9 days straight. They even go above and beyond by doing the girls' hair in stylish fashions and giving all of our children extra special care. This consistent care helps children heal from past trauma and helps young children learn to form healthy attachments.
Medical Expenses
Our medical needs can vary widely from one month to the next, but they are always present. Providing for the health and well-being of these special souls is a top priority. Certain expenses are foreseeable, but many expenses in the area of the medical needs of the children are not. It is the wish of Casa de Fe to not have to turn children away who need medication or medical care. Over the years we have been blessed to be able to cover the expenses of many children needing surgeries, special medical equipment, cancer therapy, and other treatment.
Other Special Projects
When you make a donation to Fundacíon Casa de Fe you can always select where you would like your money to be spent. On our donation page use the drop-down menus to select Casa de Fe of Casa de los Sueños or select the current projects to donate directly to a certain cause. We operate our budget in certain categories to allow for complete transparency when reporting and spending.
Kitchen Staff
There is one assigned Tia on each 9-day shift assigned to cook. The children help with the cooking, especially Tatiana and Carmen. The children all wash their own plates and are assigned responsibilities to clean up after meals: cleaning and putting away the tables, sweeping and mopping the floors, and washing, drying, and putting away cooking utensils
Professional Staff
This includes our staff psychologist, social worker, and lawyer. Much evaluation and documentation must be done for the sake of advocating for our children. Every month our children's files are reviewed by the Ecuadorian government to make sure the children are following a plan to progress in life We employ two men to tend to the groundskeeping, maintenance, and construction on our three-hectare campus.
The administrative team consists of a Director, HR/Assistant and Accountant. Our director, along with his assistant are responsible for holding down the fort. His duties include managing the budget, employees, children, and projects. Our accountant and treasurer work tirelessly behind the scenes to make sure the business end runs smoothly.
Education
Education is a top priority at Casa de Fe as most of the children who come are significantly behind. Since March of 2020, ALL of the children have been doing school at home and our staff has stepped up to make this possible. We have 4 teachers who monitor the school work for 27 children in 11 different grades.
Special Needs Education - We have 10 special needs children who receive support from a school in Puyo Ecuador, but they are being taught at home by our teachers.
Food & Supplies
As you can imagine, food is a large expense item in the budget. The food budget includes kitchen expendables, regular food items, and formula, diapers for the babies, and those who have special medical needs. Casa de Fe also raises pigs and chickens and maintains a large garden with various fruits and vegetables to decrease expenses. We also periodically receive food and supply donations from local Ecuadorian groups.
