Since 1981, Casa Alianza programs have been providing shelter, protection, and rehabilitation for children and teenagers who are abused, abandoned, trafficked, addicted or left to the streets. Currently we have programs in four countries: Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and Nicaragua.

Covenant House opened its first Latin America "Casa Alianza" (Spanish for Covenant House) in Guatemala City in 1981 to protect the hundreds of children left homeless and orphaned in the civil war that left the country in ruins. In1987, Covenant House continued expanding in the region, opening Casa Alianza Honduras in the capital city, Tegucigalpa; and then moved on to open Casa Alianza Mexico in 1988.

In 1998 Casa Alianza Nicaragua was opened, and the current residence in Managua was built in 2000 when Casa Alianza Latin America won the prestigious Hilton Humanitarian Prize and dedicated the prize money to the newest of its programs. In January 2009, Casa Alianza Guatemala was forced to close due to lack of funding but later that year we were able to open a completely new program in Guatemala City known as Asociación La Alianza ("The Covenant").

In all four Latin American countries where we work, children and teenagers face extraordinary risks. Extreme poverty, abandonment, violence, abuse and exploitation force children away from their homes and onto the streets. Once on the streets, highly addictive and harmful substances often provide an attractive refuge from the pain. Equally dangerous is the growing market for girls and boys, exploited for sexual and commercial purposes. Deceived and tricked by traffickers, boys and girls as young as 8-11 years old find themselves forced into the sex industry, with little or no chance of escape.

Casa Alianza Latin America provides a real and sustainable alternative for children and teenagers trying to survive on the streets. Our programs are unique in that they offer an open door to children and teens 24 hours a day—7 days a week—365 days a year. In addition to a safe place to sleep and a good meal, we offer all the therapies, skills and education a child might need to be able to succeed in the world.