In December 1978, an SOS Children's Village opened its gates in the town of Santa Maria in the southern province of Rio Grande do Sul. Santa Maria is situated in the country's interior west of Porto Alegre. SOS Children's Village Santa Maria was built on a six-acre site on the outskirts of the town of the same name. It consists of twelve family houses, where up to 120 children can find a new home.
In addition, there is the village director's house, a house for the so-called SOS aunts (SOS mother trainees or family helpers who support the SOS mothers during their daily work and fill in for them when they are ill or on leave), a multi-purpose hall for functions and festivities, and an administration and service area. Children from the SOS Children's Village usually attend the local kindergartens and schools.
An SOS Youth Facility in the city of Santa Maria accommodates up to nine youths from the SOS Children's Village. Young people usually move from the SOS Children's Village to an SOS Youth Facility when they start a vocational training course or go on to higher education. With the support of qualified youth workers, the young people develop realistic perspectives for their future, learn to shoulder responsibility and increasingly make their own decisions. They are encouraged to develop team spirit and build up contacts with relatives and friends, as well as with the relevant authorities and potential employers.