The SOS model for the care of children in need is simple, and is predicated on the fundamental principle that no child can be a happy child without a mother. Herman Gmeiner's* four founding principles are as valid today as they were when he founded the first village more than 50 years ago, viz:

Mother – Every child in our care has a SOS mother, who gives the child love and security. SOS Mothers are carefully selected and receive special training to cope with children who have often been traumatised by their past.

Family Home – Every mother has her own family home in which to raise her family. These family homes are specifically designed to mirror the family homes in whatever country the village is established. The SOS home remains the family home of the child until he or she elects to leave, and even then, it is hoped that the child will always see it as their family home.

Brothers & Sisters – Many of our homes are occupied by birth siblings. If this is not the case then children are housed together in the family home so that they will have the experience of growing up with brothers and sisters.

Village – In third world countries an SOS Village is often a village in the traditional meaning of the word. But in countries like Australia the family homes are clustered together to form a social community, and to enable administrative support for the mothers. The village is the bridge to the community and has proven to be a vital component in giving the child a sense of community, security and safety.

* Herman Gmeiner is the founder of SOS. He was a young Austrian medical student who, at the end of World War 2, was appalled by the vast numbers of orphaned and homeless children in need of care as a result of a war devastated Europe. He reasoned that simply providing shelter, food, and clothing, would never be enough if these children were ever to have a future.

"What is a child without a mother?" – he asked.

In 1949, with the help of supporters donating one Austrian Schilling a month he built the first SOS village in the Tyrol in Austria. His four principles for the well being of a child were, as they still are today –a mother, a home, brothers & sisters, and a village community. Fifty years later those four principles still are as relevant as they were then. The formula is a proven success in more than 130 countries where SOS children's villages provide for the care of thousands of children irrespective of race, religion or culture.