How it all began...

On 25 April 1949, a group of committed women and men founded the "Societas Socialis" in Innsbruck. Their revolutionary and socially innovative idea laid the foundation for the creation of SOS Children's Villages and provided significant impetus for child and youth welfare. Instead of placing parentless or unwanted children in anonymous homes and reformatories, they should be able to grow up in a family environment.

Even after all these years, SOS Children's Villages continues to be of great importance. Despite progress, millions of children and young people still have to grow up alone, neglected, without education and in poverty.

Today, SOS Children's Villages is active in over 130 countries and operates more than 570 SOS Children's Villages and over 1,300 other programmes for the care of children and young people and the strengthening of families. SOS Children's Villages works to high standards in child protection and has continuously developed its methods to meet current requirements.

SOS Children's Villages wants to continue to develop in the future and always adapt its services to the needs of children and young people. Issues such as the increasing shortage of skilled workers, sustainability, inclusion and, of course, child protection affect SOS Children's Villages and will have a significant impact on the development of the organisation in the coming years.