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ACAF Social Workers

Home Build Selection Process

One of the most difficult decisions we make is deciding which
families we will partner with in the Mejor Casa, Mejor Vida (Better
House, Better Life) program. In the areas we work the need is
tremendous and overwhelming, but a process of selecting families
is important. To have the greatest impact possible our team of
social workers partner with community leaders to find the very
best candidates. Though people are supportive of each other, the
decision of who will receive a home is very difficult to make. The
work of our Social Workers is stressful and emotionally draining as
they are on the frontline of serving those most in need.

The Mejor Casa Mejor Vida Program has proven to provide families with transformational steps that can lead out of poverty.
The process of selecting and working with families is slow, deliberative and conducted by professionals who truly understand
the needs of those they serve. The process has been refined and adapted through over 50 home builds in Cambio Puente.
Please pray for their health and well-being as they conduct the work described below.
1. Initial Referral
The initial referral typically comes from people who are working with ACAF in Upper Cambio Puente who know the residents
of the area from association in the water project, the community kitchen, or other community development projects. The
names of families in need are passed on to the ACAF Social Workers that could benefit from a new home.

2. Home Visit
For the home visit, our team meets the famiy, conducts a cursory interview and makes notes on the condition of the
family’s enviroment. This initial meeting usually takes about 30-60 minutes and can only take place with initial mutual
trust. From this visit, the Social Workers use a Social Risks Scale to assess where the family is in terms of vulnerability.
Issues that relate to vulnerability include nutrition, violence in the home, health and number and ages of children. The
level of deprivation in these homes is staggering, and for their owners to allow someone to assess their needs is delicate
and done with love and compassion.
3. Economic Situation Assessment
The team works with the family to understand their economic situation and their income. Income is usually derived from
working in the agricultural fields near the areas we serve. It is often difficult to pinpoint, as the work is almost always
seasonal and intermittent. That said, the ACAF Social Workers use data collected to estimate the monthly income of each
family. This amount is one of the important factors in determining the families most in need.

4. Follow-Up Visits
A follow-up visit and then a 3rd visit to verify the information gathered in the first visit are conducted. These additional
visits are important to ensure that the information collected is accurate. In total, the visits and processing the visit data
can take 3-4 hours per family. In the end, the visits are designed to apply scales of vulnerability to each case so that we can
compare and identify those who are most in need.
5. Land Space
As mentioned in the article above, not all the sites where we find people living are suitable for building. We are constantly
working to improve this process, but our operations team is heavily involved in helping decide if a site is buildable.

6. Participant Observation
The final scale used to assess the family is the Participant Observation Scale that gets very personal details from the family
that include hygiene practices, sleeping arrangements and family dynamic structures. All of this is very personal and can only
be completed with a mutually trusting relationship. Our Social Workers invest many hours into each case and understand
that the dignity of each family is paramount when entering people's homes and working to “assess their needs”.

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