Commitment 24/7, 365 days a year

At Fundación Canguro we have been providing continuous affectionate nutrition to newborns and their families at the maternity ward of the Pereira Rossell Hospital Center (CHPR) since July 2016, due to situations of rights violations and vulnerability of their families of origin. We do this with the commitment of 400 volunteers.

Since October 2021, we have also been present at Dr. Elbio Rivero Hospital in Maldonado.

The evaluation of the situation of these babies and their families by the social service team of the CHPR, and eventual legal proceedings that may arise, create a waiting period for newborns that can extend up to 90 days.

Fundación Canguro was created with the aim of minimizing the physical and emotional risks of extended hospitalization, favoring protective health factors during that waiting time and until discharge.

The prolonged stay of babies in a hospital environment constitutes a high-risk situation. Our goal is to provide the best conditions for the baby's healthy development in a welcoming environment, thought out for them from a rights perspective, where they can receive affectionate care from their surroundings, their kangaroo caregivers, and their families of origin.

Constant support for families of origin

At Fundación Canguro, we understand that guaranteeing the baby's right to be in contact with their family of origin implies not only enabling but also promoting the encounter.

The focus of our work is to put the baby at the center and maintain and expand the support network for families of origin, in an environment of legitimacy and empathy, supporting the mothers' needs related to the care and well-being of the babies.

The importance of affectionate nutrition

Babies who receive love and a warm welcome to the world can better handle stress, reduce fear and excitement thresholds, as well as increase sociability, security, and audacity by feeling accompanied.

This affectionate nutrition favors the acquisition of language, social skills, cognitive abilities, the strengthening of the nervous and immune system, among others.

Gazzes, caresses, songs, whispers, and hugs. Being emotionally contained is as necessary and vital for babies as organic nutrition. And it has an extremely powerful effect on building the child's identity.

We are driven and delighted to demonstrate that promising results have already been achieved, related to the conjunction of meeting physical needs with emotional ones. The responsibility we assume with love day by day allows us to measure the positive impact of our work.

Our areas of action

Sala Canguro at CHPR

Affective nutrition and care for infants in situations of high social vulnerability.

Preterm Group

Support for mothers and families of high-risk premature babies at CHPR.

Breastfeeding room

Infrastructure and support for breastfeeding 24 hours a day, every day, for mothers with hospitalized children at CHPR.

Skin-to-skin group

Care for newborns who have not yet been discharged and have critical needs at CHPR.

Sala Canguro at Maldonado’s Hospital

Affective nutrition and care for infants in situations of high social vulnerability.

Donation Reception Group

Reception, classification, management, and delivery of donations of items for babies aged 0 to 3 months.

Contact us

Bulevar General Artigas 1550
Montevideo, Uruguay

+598 98664000
Available from 9AM – 5PM

By Mythology Labs