KIDS

The flagship program for children. A school bag and supplies every school year, educational assistance every grading period, and support for a child’s wellbeing, skills and confidence.

KIDS is the Foundation’s flagship program for children. Through it, the Foundation aims to give the children of incarcerated mothers educational support, psychosocial care, life skills, and opportunities that build resilience, confidence and long-term success.

A mother’s detention can interrupt a child’s schooling in ordinary, practical ways. There may be no one to buy the bag and notebooks before classes open, or to check a report card and notice early that a subject is slipping. KIDS takes on both of those jobs.

The school year starts with a Balik-Eskwela kit. At the Makati City Jail in August 2026, every child beneficiary received a school bag and an envelope of educational materials matched to their grade level.

Scholars then receive educational assistance each grading period. To keep receiving it, a scholar submits their report card and keeps a grade of 85% or higher in every subject. A scholar who falls short is not dropped. They are placed under academic review and offered tutoring.

Para tuloy-tuloy ang pag-aaral at pangarap.

So that school, and dreams, can carry on. The line under the four parts of the program, on the slide shown to families at the orientation in July 2026.

The four parts of the program

As presented to mothers and children at the Foundation’s orientation in July 2026, under the heading Para sa mga Bata: for the children.

Education

A Balik-Eskwela kit before the school year opens, educational assistance each grading period, and a check on every report card.

Emotional support

Psychosocial care for a child coping with a mother’s detention, and with what other people say about it.

Skills

Life skills for growing up, alongside schoolwork.

Confidence building

Opportunities that build resilience, and a sense of what is possible for them.

What the program gives

• A Balik-Eskwela kit at the start of each school year
• Educational assistance released each grading period
• A report card check each grading period
• Tutoring for scholars placed under academic review

A school year in the program

From the day a family is enrolled to the review at the end of each year, this is what happens.

Enrollment

A mother and child who meet the Foundation’s terms are enrolled. The mother reads the terms and signs an agreement, with the Foundation’s social worker on hand, as the first mothers did at the orientation in July 2026.

Before classes open

Every child receives a Balik-Eskwela kit: a school bag and an envelope of materials for their grade level. The first kits were handed out at the Makati City Jail on 16 August 2026.

Each grading period

The scholar submits their report card each grading period. A Foundation reviewer checks the grades against the 85% standard.

Assistance released

Once the report card is approved, that period’s educational assistance is scheduled and then released.

If a scholar falls short

A grade below 85% means academic review and tutoring, not removal. An average below 80% brings a case conference with the social worker, the guardian and, where possible, the mother.

Once a year

An annual assessment. Support continues for as long as the child’s educational need, the mother’s detention status, the family’s readiness for reintegration and the Foundation’s resources allow.

The academic standard

Educational assistance continues while a scholar keeps a grade of 85% or higher in every subject. Each grading period, the scholar submits their report card for review.

A Foundation reviewer checks the grades against the report card and records the decision with the submission.

Result	What happens
85% or higher in every subject	Good standing. Assistance continues into the next grading period.
Below 85% in any subject, average 80% or higher	Academic review. Assistance continues, tutoring is arranged, and the scholar is followed up at the next period.
Average below 80%	A case conference with the social worker, the guardian and, where possible, the mother. Assistance is reviewed, not automatically withdrawn.

Report cards in the Philippines come in several forms. DepEd percentage grades, the 1.00 to 5.00 college scale and letter grades are converted to a percentage, so scholars at different schools are held to the same standard. A subject marked INC counts as pending, not as zero: it is left out of the average and checked by a reviewer.

What was in the first kits

At the Balik-Eskwela Kits Distribution on 16 August 2026, every child beneficiary received:

• a school bag, printed with the Foundation’s mark
• a plastic envelope of educational materials chosen for their grade level
• a white Kidfinity and Beyond shirt

The day also had games for the mothers and children, played with the Founder, and ended with a community lunch. Read the report of the day.

Your dreams are important, and you deserve the chance to have a bright future.

Ate Athalia, speaking to the children at the Balik-Eskwela Kits Distribution, 16 August 2026. Her message in full

Tutoring

In July 2026 the Foundation opened talks with Museo Pambata, and through it raised a possible partnership with Khan Academy Philippines, which runs face-to-face tutoring for children from underserved communities who need academic support the most. Nothing has been agreed yet. Read the report of the visit.