SOS Children's Village Santa Tecla was erected in a suburb of Santa Tecla, at about 2 kilometres from the centre. It was inaugurated in 1982 but had to be closed in 2008. Unfortunately, social problems closely related to gang activities in the neighbourhood have strongly affected everyday life in the village. The local authorities did not intervene in the community due to the gang's stronghold of the neighbourhood. In order to protect the children in the village, SOS Children's Villages El Salvador decided to close the SOS Children's Village in Santa Tecla and to relocate families as it was no longer feasible and responsible to continue our organisation's activity at this location.
Some children were moved to an SOS Youth Facility building located in another part of Santa Tecla. The remaining families were accommodated in rented houses. In addition, separate SOS Youth Facilities exist for girls and boys. The children from the SOS Children's Village attend public schools and kindergartens in the vicinity, which is very helpful for their early integration into society. The construction of a new SOS Children's Village in Santa Tecla is under discussion.