House of Refuge
For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord will take me in.
The House of Refuge is a foster home for abandoned or neglected babies that is licensed by the Guatemalan government but fully financed by BBIC supporters. Up to 8 babies less than two years of age may be housed temporarily while awaiting forever homes. The foster home opened In 2017 after the Lord sent us a wonderful couple, Daniel and Margareth, to serve as house parents. In 2018, we were blessed with the opportunity to expand to a second floor, providing more space and allowing children of older ages to stay with us.
In 2023, the Lord provided another Godly couple, Ernesto and Jackie, to take over the role of house parents. Along with the support of trained nannies, the staff at the foster home provide a loving Christian environment for the children that have been placed with us.
House of Refuge Q & A January 2025
What calling did God place on your heart to become the house parents at the House of Refuge?
Many of these children never received love, they do not know what it is to feel like a member of a family and to have trust in that family. It is sad to know that at their young age, they have gone through many difficulties, such as abandonment, rejection, violence among other difficulties.
What ages of children are placed in the home? What is the maximum number you can have?
We are licensed to receive from newborns to 2 years of age. The court system decides which children are placed with us and has made a special exemption for two children to stay with us long-term as they grow older. We can have up to 8 children under the age of 2 years in residence at any one time.
How many children have been ministered to since the House of Refuge opened in 2017? What are some of the reasons children are usually placed in foster care?
So far we have taken care of 34 children. We deal with issues such as abandonment, abuse, malnutrition, and neglect. At the House of Refuge, the children receive love in a nurturing Christian environment, health care, emotional support, and education. Nannies, physicians, social workers, nutritionists, and psychologists assist with the complex needs of these children.
It is truly like one big family at the foster home. What are some of your favorite activities and routines with the children?
We love seeing them happy, listening to them talk, playing in a park or going out to eat. They enjoy singing and learning Bible lessons.
Do you have any advance notice when a baby will be placed in your care? What sort of process occurs before a child comes to you?
The process goes like this: Social Services contacts our home to see if we have room for another baby. Then, the judge issues an order for the baby to be received in our home. Most of the children go first to the hospital for a medical evaluation.
What items are helpful for donating to the foster home?
We always need iron-enriched powdered formula for babies up to one year old. The formula is very expensive in Guatemala, much more than in the United States. Additionally, diaper rash ointment, body cream and baby lotion are always helpful! From time to time, we will request certain sizes of clothing and shoes as well as other supplies as we need them. As short-term mission teams travel to Guatemala to serve, they bring donated items for the Home to use.
We are very grateful for the support received because without it the foster home would not be able to provide the quality of care it does. Unlike other shelter homes that are run solely with government funds, the House of Refuge has electricity, a refrigerator, and a washer and dryer. We can provide a varied, quality diet by buying fresh meat and vegetables, preparing baby food and storing it safely, and saving money by washing (lots of) cloth diapers.
What is a Guatemalan adoption like? What kind of preparations need to be made?
This process is carried out with the direction of the National Adoption Council of Guatemala,as our role at the House of Refuge is to provide a “shelter and protection home”.
During the time that the children remain in our home, we, as the house parents attend hearings in the Court for Children and Adolescents. These hearings are attended also by a representative of the Attorney General’s Office as well as others who are interested in the well-being of the child. It is through these hearings that legal determinations are made if a child will be returned to his/her biological family or will be declared adoptable (not having living relatives who are requesting legal custody). The child is then assessed to create a profile, and adoption services match available families based on this profile. The matched family’s first introduction to the child is through photographs, and if they decide to continue, the family sends photos and videos for the child to get familiar with them before actually being introduced and spending time in person with the child. A date is set for the visit and, after three days of living together, on the fourth day the child is handed over to the adoptive parents. Subsequently, the National Adoption Council carries out visits every six months up to 2 years after adoption to ensure that the child and the family continue to be an optimal fit and in the best interests of the child.
International adoption is considered “closed” - how many children have been successfully adopted to an approved Guatemalan couple?
International adoption is possible whenever one of the members of the adopting couple has Guatemalan nationality of origin and has completed the adoption process after a 2 year application process. So far, we have achieved 8 national adoptions from couples who are not related biologically to the adopted child. Children that have been returned to a family member have done so only after the custodial parent or guardian has gone through a court-mandated recovery process, having attended therapy and educational parenting courses.
How do you handle the sadness and difficulty when a child has been in your care and then is adopted by a new family or reunited with their biological family?
With mixed feelings, every time a child is adopted or returned to their family we try to take this occurrence in the best possible way, trusting in God’s plans for their lives. It is always good to think about how the lives of these children were restored at the House of Refuge, knowing that they received a lot of love. In the end, our goal is that each sheltered boy and girl can have a family of their own that meets all their emotional, spiritual, educational and recreational needs. We know that our work is for a season and during that time we want to plant in their hearts the love of Jesus that will continue to accompany them wherever they go.