The Calasanz Foundation was established in Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas as a response to the realities of vulnerability affecting children and adolescents who are deprived of their family environment and exposed to situations of abandonment, violence, poverty, and social exclusion.
From its beginnings, the Foundation assumed the commitment to provide protection, care, and comprehensive support, creating safe environments that promote the restoration of rights and the integral development of each person. Its work is closely linked to the educational and humanitarian mission of the Piarist Fathers and is inspired by the charism of Saint Joseph Calasanz, who understood education and accompaniment as essential paths to human dignity and social transformation.
One of the fundamental pillars in the history of the Calasanz Foundation is Casa Hogar de Jesús, a flagship project that has provided support for nearly four decades to more than 3,000 children and adolescents in situations of abandonment or risk.
The experience acquired in residential care has given the Foundation a deep understanding of the challenges affecting children and adolescents, such as family neglect, physical and psychological violence, abuse, child labor, and social exclusion. This reality has driven the need to expand its actions beyond residential care.
Over the years, the Calasanz Foundation has expanded its scope of action by developing new programs focused on protection, education, health, and community strengthening, with the aim of guaranteeing rights and preventing the unnecessary institutionalization of children and adolescents.
Initiatives such as the Emergency Shelter “Madre Claudia Fischer,” academic leveling programs, the Calasanz Medical Center, the CREAR psychopedagogical center with Calasanz, as well as community development projects, child labor eradication, support for older adults, and pre-professional training have emerged from this growth.
Today, the Calasanz Foundation continues its work with the same commitment that inspired its creation, adapting to new social realities without losing its Calasanz identity. Its history reflects a constant vocation of service, focused on accompanying people in vulnerable situations and building more just, supportive, and humane environments.
