Family Based Care Programme

This programme is the backbone for care at SOS Children’s Villages Jordan. The programme consists of a community made of family houses, where each house is led by a mother who provides care and love for 5 to 7 children.
An SOS family is similar to a biological family in terms of variety of ages and gender. In the family house the children are raised as brothers and sisters until the age of 14. At this age the youth moves from the family house to a youth house. The youth lives at the youth house until the age of 18.

The first SOS Children’s Village in Jordan was opened in Amman in 1987. This was the result of a meeting held in 1982 between H.M. Queen Noor Al-Hussein and Mr. Hermann Gmeiner, Founder of SOS Children’s Villages. SOS Children’s Villages Jordan has continued to grow since that date providing orphaned and abandoned children with: Care, Accommodation, Education & Skills, Protection and Social inclusion, Food Security, Physical Health, Livelihood, Social and Emotional Well-being, throughout the Kingdom.

In 1991, a second SOS Children’s Village was built in Aqaba, consisting of nine family houses that provide a home and a family to more orphans. A third SOS Children’s Village was then built in Irbid with twelve family houses, coinciding with SOS Children’s Villages’ 50th Anniversary Celebrations in 1999.

Youth Houses (between ages of 14 and 18)

SOS youth houses accommodate youth from the age of 14 till the age of 18. A youth house provides a home to 8 male or 8 female youth and each house is led by a male or female youth leader. Moving to an SOS youth house intends to be the first step towards an independent life outside SOS Children’s Villages. Currently in Jordan we have nine youth houses in the cities of Amman, Irbid and Aqaba.

Semi-independent life (Above 18 years old)

SOS continues to provide support for the youth above the age of 18 years old. This includes financial and technical support for those who are still studying in either academic or vocational paths. As well as for those who are looking for employment.
We have strategic partnerships, where education, residence rental, household expenses, health insurance and personal expenses are covered by our partners for those youth.

About 300 youth have graduated from SOS since 1996. Some of them have reintegrated with their biological families or with their relatives. Others are living an independent life and are self-reliant. Most of our graduates have successfully developed professional careers in different sectors such as business, engineering, hospitality and pharmaceuticals  among others.