Centro Infantil de los Ángeles provides free, high-quality daycare and preschool education to children from the most financially challenged families in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Our programs afford working parents (mostly single mothers) the comfort of knowing that their children are fed, nurtured, and taught in a safe and caring environment. Free childcare enables parents to work and make a better life for their children, who are more prepared to succeed in primary school and beyond.
HISTORY
When Donna Quathamer came to San Miguel in 2000, she asked local women selling their goods in the market and on the street what could she do to help to make their lives easier. It was common to see women working with babies wrapped in cloths and strapped to their backs, as well as young infants and toddlers lying next to their feet. These women expressed a need for a safe place to leave their children while they worked and earned money to feed, clothe, and house their children.
Casa de los Ángeles was born with that vision: to create a free daycare where poor, working mothers have the comfort of knowing their children are safe and families are nurtured, respected, and supported.
Since then, Casa de los Ángeles has grown to serve nearly 100 children each day. The daycare center provides a happy, educational environment for children under the age of five where they get to play, eat, learn and laugh. In addition, we have become a support network for local women who complete an hour of service for each day that their child is at the day care, thereby participating actively in the care of their children.
Centro Infantil San Pablo (CISP) is a nonprofit organization founded by St. Paul’s Anglican Church of San Miguel. It was founded with a mission to provide free, high quality, secular pre-school education to Mexican children with the greatest need and prepare them to enter the first grade.
In August 2017, the two long-standing organizations merged to serve more families in San Miguel. We know that an investment in children’s education at the newly-named Centro Infantil de los Angeles produces results. Now, with our two organization merged, we will serve more than 200 children and families from age 3 months – 6 years.
CONTEXT
Mexico has the 15th largest economy in the world, however it continues to be one of the most unequal countries in the world. More than half of the population is poor and more than 55 million Mexicans live in poverty. Almost half of Mexicans are under 25 years old and the average age of women at their first birth is 21 years old. Teenage pregnancy continues to be a problem in Mexico and single motherhood continues to be extremely prevalent in Mexican communities.
Many of our families live on the outskirts of San Miguel in very basic housing and often do not have access to water mains or electricity. Many of our children live in small spaces shared with extended family members.
