Official response to allegations made regarding the El Oasis Children’s Village in Mexico.

Over 28 years ago, International Children’s Care (ICC) was established for the purpose of giving high quality care to orphaned and abandoned children in developing countries. The ICC philosophy is that each child should grow up in a “real home” environment. ICC regards these children with tender love and respect and works to promote the best interest of each individual child. As such, ICC does not tolerate any abuse or mistreatment of the children which we support.

In order to realize our mission, ICC partners with locally recognized and authorized organizations that have their own board of directors. These organizations are typically supervised be the child protection department of the government. ICC provides funding as well as advice to these organizations. Currently, ICC is supporting projects in 18 different countries around the world, in Asia, Central America, Europe and Africa.

ICC’s primary source of funds comes from individual donors and child sponsors who give support for the monthly operation of the child care facilities. Over the years, ICC donors and sponsors have helped thousands of children to shape and realize dreams for their lives. Most of the grown children have become productive citizens in their countries. Some have become doctors, teachers, nurses and others have returned to work as staff at the facility in which they grew up. ICC is pleased to be able to make this kind of contribution in places where the needs of children are great. We constantly seek to monitor and improve the safety and care of the children we support.

Recently, allegations were made against one of our partner organizations, El Oasis, which is located in Mexico. Some of these allegations were made known to ICC by the administration of El Oasis. In Mexico, multiple, appropriate government authorities have investigated these allegations. ICC is very concerned about this matter and has insisted and encouraged the staff of El Oasis to cooperate fully with the government authorities. We want to ensure that the children are well taken care of, and if there is any suspected abuse or mistreatment, we expect the staff to take appropriate measures if they intend to keep the support of ICC. This is and has always been ICC’s stand on this type of issue.

In this case, to our knowledge the administration of El Oasis has cooperated fully with the department of child protection (D.I.F.) as well as local, regional and federal government authorities in Mexico. The administration of El Oasis has denied the allegations, and to date, at least two government agencies have determined that the allegations are false.

Parts of the investigation continue. In the meantime, ICC is committed to the safe care of the children at El Oasis and continues to lend support to the El Oasis children’s village pending a final report and outcome of all investigations.