Children are a major focus within our shelter.

What happens to children when they move into a shelter?

Many children whose mothers have been abused have themselves suffered from the violence of their fathers. In this case, children who move into a shelter may have to change schools to remain safe from the batterer. CIAM CANCUN shelter have arrangements with neighborhood schools to help keep the children safe. Their files are often restricted, and their new address kept confidential. This way, the abusive father will not be able to harm the children or their mother.The focus is on keeping the children safe, while attending to their emotional need for healthy contact with both parents.

Do they have to change schools?

Children who have witnessed violence between their parents or felt the brunt of that violence themselves may experience emotional and psychological turmoil provoked by the anxiety of living in such a household. For this reason, shelters may provide counseling services to the children to help them understand and cope with their fears and confusion. In other cases, the children may be referred to services available outside the shelter. Staff at CIAM CANCUN shelter, particularly the childcare workers, are aware of the traumas the children have faced and are trained to respond appropriately. Some children receive tutoring. We have recreation counselors to provide activities for the children.

Do they see their fathers?

No, our shelter is a high security building. Women and their children enter the shelter as a last chance resource when all mediations have failed. Usually they have been threatened to be killed if they leave the abusive partner. Sometimes they and/or their children have been victims of attempted murder. With the profoundly corrupted Mexican criminal justice system, most women have to hide and be protected until they finish their legal issues; otherwise they are likely to be assassinated by their partners.

Our entire program is based on gender equality. We understand girls learn different patterns than boys in a violence cycle. We face these differences and teach mothers to learn how to learn equality treatment and non sexist behaviors. School for peace teaches them how to deal with day to day conflict without the use of verbal, physical or any other kind of violence. They learn how to dialogue, to express their feelings and thoughts.