Closure of 80 Unlicensed Care Homes for Children and the Elderly, as well as Defense and Rehabilitation Institutions Nationwide from July 2024 to December 2025

Al-Gisr – Exclusive

The Ministry of Social Solidarity stated:

• We are working to resolve all problems facing care homes in order to create a safe environment for their residents, and we will continue to pursue unlicensed institutions.

• We call on citizens wishing to join, or place their relatives in, care homes to verify that the facility has obtained the necessary licenses from the social administrations at the Directorates of Social Solidarity nationwide.

• We urge citizens not to donate to any individual or entity collecting donations without first ensuring that it holds an official fundraising license issued by the Ministry.

The Ministry of Social Solidarity announced that the number of care homes closed nationwide during the period from July 2024 to the end of December 2025 reached 80 facilities, both licensed and unlicensed. These included children’s care homes, elderly care homes, defense institutions, and rehabilitation centers and institutions.

The Ministry explained that these closures came as part of its efforts to confront and address violations occurring within care homes, in order to ensure the best interests of residents and to tackle institutions operating illegally without the required licenses. Such institutions pose a risk to residents’ lives due to the lack of essential care requirements, including medical equipment, civil protection measures, and appropriate internal facilities suited to residents’ needs.

The Ministry affirmed that the Law on the Regulation of Civil Society Work No. 149 of 2019 stipulates that “associations or others may not allocate places to shelter children, the elderly, patients with chronic illnesses, or others in need of social care, or persons with disabilities, except with a license from the competent authority.” The Ministry also reiterated its commitment to the provisions of the Elderly Rights Care Law No. 19 of 2024, the Child Law No. 12 of 1996, its executive regulations, and the relevant bylaws.

The Ministry further announced that it conducts regular and unannounced field inspections through rapid intervention teams deployed across all governorates, judicial ضبطية (law enforcement) committees within the Ministry, and various care departments. These inspections aim to address any shortcomings in services provided to beneficiaries at care homes and rehabilitation centers, with the goal of ensuring a supportive and safe environment that meets citizens’ basic needs.

These visits resulted in the closure of 43 unlicensed facilities and 37 licensed homes and institutions that committed violations, no longer housed residents, or whose administrators requested closure. In such cases, residents were transferred and integrated into other suitable care facilities.

Unlicensed Children’s Care Homes Closed:

• Dar Al-Diyafa (Girls), Qalaat Al-Kabsh branch, Sayeda Zeinab – Cairo

• Resala Home, Maadi branch – Cairo

• Zahia Marzouk Home (Boys), Al-Laban – Alexandria

• Zahia Marzouk Home (Girls), Al-Laban – Alexandria

Elderly Care Homes Closed:

• Rawdat Al-Safwa – Cairo

• Al-Nufous Al-Mutma’enna – Cairo

• Dar Al-Amal – Cairo

• Dar Al-Rahma – Cairo

• Dar Maryam – Cairo

• Dar Al-Ihsan – Cairo

• Dar Maryam, Al-Shaheed Amr Ibn Al-Khattab Street – Cairo

• Dar Al-Mursaleen – Cairo

• Araek Al-Zohour – Cairo

• Dar Al-Bayt Baytak – Cairo

• Dar Al-Hikma – Cairo

• Dar Al-Wafaa wal-Amal – Cairo

• Adam Elderly Care Home – Cairo

• Basmat Amal Elderly Care Home – Cairo

• Omti Gennati Elderly Care Home – Cairo

• Barakat Al-Dar Elderly Care Home – Cairo

• Al-Wahat Services Company Elderly Care Home – Cairo

• Barakat Al-Dar, Heliopolis – Cairo

• Barakat Al-Dar, Al-Nozha – Cairo

• Parents Care Home – Cairo

• Al-Agaiby Elderly Care Home – Cairo

• Abu Seifein Elderly Care Home – Cairo

• Family Care Elderly Home – Cairo

• Misr Al-Qawmi Party – Giza

• Elderly Care Home, Al-Mandara – Alexandria

• Nour Al-Hayat Home, near Al-Asafra General Hospital – Alexandria

• Assiut Elderly Home, opposite Al-Mabra Hospital – Assiut

• Elderly Care Home, Ras El Bar – Damietta

Defense Institutions Closed:

• Ma‘ana to Save a Human Institution, 4.5 km area, Nasr City – Cairo

• Zahret Misr Home, Homeless Elderly, Badr City – Cairo

Rehabilitation Centers and Institutions Closed:

• Lara Language Center, Al-Ishraf Association – Suez

• Kayan Center for Children with Disabilities, Al-Dakhla District, Moot City – New Valley

• Etma’an Center for Children with Disabilities, Al-Dakhla District, Moot City – New Valley

• Mosharekat Al-Kheir, Al-Haram – Giza

• Qurra Speech Therapy Center – Hurghada, Red Sea Governorate

• Al-Walaa wal-Wafaa Institution, Branch 1 – Nasr City, Cairo

• Horizon Institution – El Shorouk City, Cairo

• Erada Institution – Mokattam, Cairo

• Afaq Institution – Cairo

Licensed Care Homes Closed:

• Al-Mawaridi (“Critical Home”)

• Al-Rahma (“Critical Home”)

• Dar Al-Shams Al-Moshriqa (Boys) (“Critical Home”)

• Al-Bayt Al-Amen, Luxor (“Critical Home”)

• Girls’ Social Care Home (“Critical Home”)

• Hadabet Al-Kheir Orphan Girls’ Home (“Critical Home”)

• Zeinat Al-Hayat (“Critical Home”)

• Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq Home (“Critical Home”)

• Boys’ Social Care Home (“Critical Home”)

• Aghabi

• Ahbabi

• Al-Huda

• Coptic Boys

• Al-Rahma

• Beit Al-Hasanat Orphan Girls’ Shelter No. 3

• Ahbaa Al-Mustafa Girls Institution

• Al-Rehab Boys Home

• Al-Rehab Girls Home

• Child Anew

• Dar Al-Kheir

• Beit Al-Atouni

• Dar Al-Azari Al-Hakimat

• Dar Ahbab Al-Rahman

• Beit Latifa

• Coptic Boys Care Home

• Martyr Istefanos Girls Home

• Dar Ibnti

• Ali Ibn Abi Talib Home, affiliated with Jawame‘ Al-Kheir Association

Licensed Defense Institutions Closed:

• New Beginning Home (“Men & Women”), Homeless Elderly – Mansoura

• Al-Farid Home, Homeless Elderly (Men), Faisal – Giza

• Ma‘ana to Save a Human Home (Men), Dokki branch

• Ma‘ana to Save a Human Home (Women), Al-Haram branch

• Classification and Guidance Center for the Homeless Elderly, affiliated with Ma‘ana to Save a Human – Al-Haram branch

Licensed Rehabilitation Centers Closed:

• New Vision Nursery – Alexandria

• Birds of Paradise Home, Downtown Alexandria

• Sons of Light Institution – Cairo

• Daughters of Light Institution – Cairo

The Ministry emphasized that it will continue efforts to resolve all issues facing care homes and confront all forms of violations to ensure a safe environment for residents, while pursuing unlicensed institutions that endanger citizens’ lives. The Ministry noted that “critical homes” are facilities with persistent problems that could not be resolved despite attempts, including poor child care, neglect, internal violations, undesirable behaviors among residents, lack of cooperation by some boards of associations, or serious violations within the affiliated associations.

The Ministry’s vision for children’s care homes is to shift from institutional care to family-based care through the foster care system, expanding alternative family programs and reducing the number of social care homes. As a result, 581 children were placed with foster families during the period from July 2024 to the end of December 2025, bringing the total number of fostered children to 12,243, supported by 11,985 foster families.

The Ministry called on citizens wishing to join or place relatives in care homes to verify licensing through social administrations at Social Solidarity Directorates nationwide, or to apply through the Ministry’s website to receive appropriate care under official supervision. Unlicensed homes lack essential equipment and civil protection measures, placing residents at risk.

The Ministry stated that it receives reports via the hotline 19828 or WhatsApp number 01557582104, in addition to monitoring media outlets and social media platforms.

Finally, the Ministry urged citizens not to donate to any individual or entity collecting donations without ensuring it has an official fundraising license issued by the Ministry, in order to protect citizens and ensure that donations reach those most in need. The Civil Society Work Law No. 149 of 2019 and its executive regulations prohibit fundraising without proper authorization, and violations constitute a breach of the law.