Guatemala faces an unresolved problem: the recruitment of minors within their own foster homes

Guatemala faces an unresolved crisis regarding the recruitment of minors within state-run shelter and protection homes. These facilities house a mixed population, bringing together adolescents with ties to criminal gangs alongside children separated from their families due to custody disputes.

The absence of an effective classification mechanism within the shelters allows these groups to come into direct contact. This operational gap fails to prevent recruitment dynamics and significantly increases safety risks for the vulnerable children placed in state care.