SOS Children's Villages in Latin America can report the following developments (data available to April, 2006):
- New family strengthening programmes are being implemented in Uruguay (Salto), Ecuador (Portoviejo), Brasil (Recife), México (Comitán y Tehuacán), Guatemala (San Pablo La Laguna and San Juan Sacatepequez), Haití (Santo and Puerto Príncipe) and Honduras (Choluteca).
- Thanks to the experiences gained through community homes, family strengthening programmes can be extended to all Latin American countries where SOS Children's Villages is active. In pursuing this goal, SOS Children's Villages is restructuring a number of existing SOS Kindergartens (in Bolivia, Colombia, Perú, Uruguay, México and Honduras) for integration with family strengthening programmes.
- The Chilean and Venezuelan governments have undertaken the task of financing these educational programmes.
- SOS Children's Villages Brazil transferred its schools in "comodato" (cost free lease) to municipalities. The facilities can be used by governmental or non-governmental organisations, but SOS Children's Villages remains the owner.
- SOS Children's Villages Guatemala received subsidies from the government directed towards children in community programmes.
- In Mexico, the local government has made communitarian spaces available to SOS Children's Villages to be used for family strengthening activities.
Key figures regarding beneficiaries and costs have developed as follows (children living in SOS Children's Villages are not included):
Building on the good reception of the family strengthening programmes by governmental and non-governmental organisations in Latin America, SOS Children's Villages is trying to obtain additional support (financial resources, technical support, infrastructure and human resources) from governments in order to ensure the sustainability of the programmes in Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Chile, Bolivia, Brazil, Guatemala and México.
SOS Children's Villages is extending its co-operation with NGOs (e.g., "Las Dignas" in El Salvador) as well as grass roots organizations (e.g., "Tejiendo Pensamientos" in Guatemala) in almost every Latin American country. NGOs and grass roots organisations are also invited to enter into partnerships and alliances with SOS Children's Villages and to actively support the family strengthening programmes.
The potential exists for SOS Children's Villages to take further steps benefiting women who face challenging economic and social situations. Assistance in personal development, literacy, sexual and reproductive health, job skills, supplementing or generating income, and education in human rights are just some areas where family strengthening programmes help. The results of these processes will be crucial for the development of mothers and their children.