There are actions that restore stability to a family. Others that expand what a child can imagine for their life. Others that strengthen an entire community to face whatever comes. Different in form, different in context, yet born of the same place: the conviction that genuine change happens alongside communities, not from outside them. That is what unites the three lines of work of the Bocar Family Foundation: children’s homes, formal education, and emergency relief. Three causes, one shared commitment.
Children’s Homes: Joining Forces to Transform
Behind every figure lies a story that does not tell itself: a child sleeping better, a caregiver responding differently, a residential care home no longer dependent on outsiders to sustain what it has learned.
“Sumar para Transformar” is a program implemented by Conexiones de ByDA that supports children’s homes through a holistic mental health model aimed at children and adolescents. The model integrates three specialized approaches: neurofeedback, to strengthen cerebral self-regulation; EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), to reprocess adverse experiences; and body-oriented therapy, to integrate emotional memory via the nervous system. It is not a one-off intervention, but rather the strengthening of internal capabilities that influence growth, the development cycle, and the way of interacting with the surrounding environment.
The program operates in two-year cycles. During this time, work is not limited to the children and adolescents; the teams at each residential care home receive training so that, upon completion of the cycle, they can sustain the model with autonomy and continuity. The transformation does not leave with you when the project ends; it stays behind. The second generation is currently underway, supporting 13 children’s homes in Mexico City and Querétaro.
Across both cohorts, 619 children and adolescents have participated in the program. In parallel, 351 caregivers have been trained in affection-based parenting, because the quality of the daily bond is an essential part of any well-being process. The model is evaluated by Dr. León Morales Quezada, a researcher affiliated with Harvard University. When the right to development ceases to be an abstract principle and becomes a concrete experience, the impact redefines what each child can imagine for their future.
Formal education: Fostering holistic learning
A child who does not know what to do with their feelings can hardly concentrate on what they are learning. That is the premise of *Educación Responsable* (Responsible Education), a framework created by the Botín Foundation which, backed by nearly two decades of evidence, has demonstrated that emotional, social, and creative development is not a supplement to education—it is its foundation.
Through ProEducación, the program is implemented in public primary schools across the country. Through a digital platform, teachers access learning activities that integrate music, literature, visual arts, and play to foster self-awareness, empathy, and conflict resolution within the curriculum. By 2025, it had reached 174 schools across 12 states, benefiting 22,480 students and training 1,485 teachers.
The program will soon expand to 19 schools in Saltillo. Among them, eight will serve the children of Grupo Bocar employees. For the Foundation, this step holds special significance: the conviction that transforming communities also means caring for the families that are part of the organization itself. The people who make Bocar possible deserve to see that same commitment reflected in their children’s education.
Emergencies: Revitalizing community well-being
In 2025, torrential rains affected municipalities in San Luis Potosí and Querétaro, damaging homes, crops, and the livelihoods of thousands of families. When the water receded, the real challenge began: deciding how to move forward.
In partnership with CEMEFI—a national leader in coordinating social impact strategies—a comprehensive restoration plan is being driven forward, taking place from March to May 2026. The initiative includes the provision of furniture, the construction of roofs, and the reconstruction of eco-friendly homes for more than 1,000 families. But its reach extends beyond the material. A resilient community does not merely recover; it learns to anticipate. For this reason, the program includes training in risk prevention and management, enabling communities to face future events with greater autonomy and confidence.
This approach defines the Foundation’s work in emergencies: being there when most needed, and leaving behind something enduring once the immediate presence has ended.
Children’s homes, education, emergencies. Three different contexts, one underlying question: how is a real opportunity built? The response of the Familia Bocar Foundation has always been the same: with patience, with presence, and alongside those who know their community’s needs better than anyone else. Not as a donor observing from the outside, but as an ally walking on the inside.
By: Abril Cárdenas, Project Management Coordinator