When we reached out to residency specialist Laura B. Gutiérrez of Immigration Help CR, she told us there is often confusion about children of ex-pats in Costa Rica and the need for them to have residency. While strictly optional for any dependent child under age 18, it is advisable for them to apply for and obtain residency at the same time as the parents. The procedures and required documentat...

Mexican-American pastor of La Luz del Mundo (The Light of The World) who calls himself “Apostle” was surprised at LAX airport a little over ten days ago when he was arrested on 26 felonies for sexual abuse of children and child pornography. Naason Joaquin Garcia had his own surprise up his sleeve, it seems. The church has bought 25 – 100 hectares of land in Quepos to create a religious complex, si...

Alejandro “Alex” Castillo is on the lamb from the US after being accused of sexual misconduct with minors – something for which he already served one year in prison in 2012 – yet the church welcomed him back, even promoting him to Diocese’s Director of Department of Faith Formation and Evangelization for Oakland, California. He has now been placed on administrative leave while he skips around, one...

The “Expomóvil 2019” is a traditional car expo event in Costa Rica where different agencies show their newest vehicles and provide discounts, special offers and financing. The car fair began will be open through Match 24 at the Pedregal Event Center in San Antonio de Belén, Heredia. Assistants will have the opportunity to compare 45 different vehicle brands, and find the best financing options ...

The Costa Rican Tourism Board (ICT), in coordination with Paniamor Foundation, officially launched the Action Manual for the Tourism Sector Companies this week and also recognized a group of 56 tourism companies for their commitment over 5 consecutive years to the Code of Conduct Program which has the goal to discourage and prevent, to the fullest extent possible, the commercial sexual exploitatio...

Children in Costa Rica are enjoy their mid-term vacation period and it is the perfect time to visit the Children’s Museum in San Jose, where a new exhibit presents 16 animatronic dinosaurs that offer an incredible Jurassic experience. Family photo booth, activities and interactive devices, complete the exhibit “Jurassic Expedition – An Adventure Among Giants - that opens today (June 30) and wil...

The Social Security Service (CCSS) in Costa Rica revealed that the institution invested over $246 thousand (USD) on the attention of Samuel one of the former siamese twins that underwent a separation surgery back in February 23, 2018 which extender for about 18 hours. “The data comes from an analysis carried out by the subarea of Hospital Expenses of the Financial Management, in which variables...

The six-year old Costa Rican child that was found Tuesday afternoon abandoned and alone in Luckerville, Arizona near the border, will remain in the custody of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the information was released by the Ministry of Public Affairs in Costa Rica. Mabel Segura, General Consul to Costa Rica in Los Angeles and Carmen Bermudez, Honorary Consul in Arizona, agr...

The Consulate of Costa Rica in Los Angeles is handling in coordination with the United States authorities, the case of a Costa Rican minor who was found on Tuesday afternoon at the Arizona desert. "The six year old child, was rescued by migratory agents of the United States in Luckeville, Arizona, just north of the frontier", stated the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a press release. Accordi...

In the frame of the World Day Against Child Labor, the Costa Rican Ministry of Work launched a campaign and signed a decree to raise awareness regarding child labor and with the objective of eradicating dangerous child labor by 2020. In Costa Rica it is forbidden for children under the age of 15 to do any kind of work, while teens over 15 are allowed to work under special conditions that guaran...

This Saturday, May 19 at the National Stadium parents will have the possibility of having 20 private schools in one location offering information on their educational offer during the ‘Feria de Colegios” or School Fair. The event is hosted only on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will include also stands for other companies all related to education and children such as Genius Lab; Tutor Doc...

According to data by the Social Security Service (CCSS), a total 26 thousand children and teens under 15 years of age in Costa Rica required medical attention in 2017 as a result of obesity. Grace Murillo Loaiza, national coordinator of Nutrition of the CCSS, the statistics are alarming. 85.8% of the patients were between the ages of 5 and 14. Health authorities call on parents and educators...

An 11 year-old Costa Rican girl who lives in the area of Sarapiquí, Heredia was taken to the hospital by her mother due to an abdominal pain; however, after being examined, doctors discovered she is 14 weeks pregnant. “The girl was brought to the emergency service by the mother to check on an abdominal pain, when she is being examined the mother suggests that she gets a pregnancy test and inde...

Engineering for Kids is a unique educational program in Costa Rica that works with international standards for the teaching of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (S.T.E.M), and this time they have developed a program dedicated to Costa Rican Engineer and Astronaut Franklin Chang Diaz, designed to inspire the future aerospace engineers. The classes are targeted to kids 4-6 years old (Juni...

The date has been moved several times, but now finally the first Chuck E. Cheese’s in Costa Rica will open doors this Monday, March 19 at Plaza Bratsi. Heredia. With an investment of $4 million which exceeded the amount originally planned, this first location will be the biggest of the three that are planned to open by 2019 with close to 2000 square meters (21528 square feet) and 60 employees. ...

On March 16 at the Cariari Golf Club the Asociación Pro-Hospital Nacional de Niños – Parque de Diversiones(Association Pro-National Children´s Hospital-Amusement Park) is organizing the XIV Golf Tournament to raise funds to buy medical equipment for the benefit of the patients of the intensive care unit and burned unit of the Hospital. The Association hopes to raise enough money to buy a calori...

Photo Credit: Javier Mota / Multimedios A 12-year-old student from the Liceo de Costa Rica (Costa Rica High School) was ran over by a track maintenance wagon on February 28 close to the high school in Plaza VIquez, San Jose. Sebastian Diaz had apparently left the school to go have lunch and was scheduled to return to class later that day. The accident occurred close to 11:55 a.m., product of...

A virtual reality game room opened doors in Paseo de las Flores Mall in Heredia ; VR Experiences offers 40 different experiences geared towards a public 4 years-old and up without age limitation, mixed reality experiences are also available. “We present the future through our interactive games; we can take you to the depths of the sea to see jellyfish or be attacked by sharks, or travel to spac...

“I can’t take care of her, I resign my rights. Don’t judge me. God will forgive me”. These were the words in a note found with a newborn baby who was abandoned in one of the benches of the Cartago cathedral on Friday morning. The identity of the mother and the baby are still unknown, but the investigation continues; the baby, Red Cross personnel that evaluated the baby’s health first estima...

A unique magic show will be presented this Saturday at 3 p.m. at the Teatro Espressivo in Momentum Pinares with the participation of 9 professionals from England, China, Taiwan and the United States, members of the Yale Magic Society. The magicians will share the stage with national talent, members of Magos Sin Fronteras Latam (Magicians Without Boarders Latin America), including Carlos Lopez a...

Spanish professional football club Atletico Madrid are establishing official camps in Costa Rica to recruit children between the ages of 5 and 17 who are talented soccer players and want to be part of their soccer school. Official trainers from La Academia traveled to Costa Rica and have been receiving applications since January 8; the process will continue January 12 at the Ernesto Rohrmoser s...

Schools in Costa Rica take their usual break in December, kids go on vacation depending on the school sometimes just for a month and other times for a little over two months; kids and teens can get bored at home or parents may want to keep them busy, in this case, there are plenty of options for summer classes, of course you can find paid options but there’re also alternatives that are completely ...

The Costa Rica Frontier Police intercepted yesterday (December 17) in the South Caribbean a truck carrying highly dangerous illegal fireworks. According to the director of the Frontier Police, Commissioner Allan Obando, the officers found boxes containing 85,290 units of pyrotechnics, some which have the power to cause serious injuries and even kill someone. In Costa Rica, the Law of Weapons...

Star Wars fans in Costa Rica will be able to enjoy once again the Star Fest in Avenida Escazu this Saturday, December 16 and Sunday, December 17, starting at noon and through 7 p.m. “Star Fest is born in 2014 to begin a tradition in Costa Rica, is a special date for fans to share and celebrate as a family the passion for the Star Wars world”, explained Marco Morales, organizer of the event. ...

Kicking off the holiday activities in Costa Rica, the Russian Circus on Ice can be enjoyed as of today, November 23 in La Sabana, San Jose. Costa Rica is one of the stops of the famous Circus in its tour through Latin America. The last time the Circus presented its show in Costa Rica was 16 years ago, but a lot has changed since an they promise a completely renovated spectacle. “The public...

Problems of coordination and differences in the modalities of care of the National Child Care and Development Network affect the management and quality of the services provided, according to the latest State of the Nation Report 2017. During 2016, the Care Network benefited 52,190 children, with wide cantonal  dispersion. The national average of the population from 0 to 6 years that serves t...

The annual report on Costa Rica's "State of the Nation" shows some disheartening realities with 20 percent of households stuck in a cycle of poverty and exclusion. While some families in extreme poverty, notably in rural areas, got a foothold out of their dire situation over the past year, this appears mainly due to government aid programs, and not due to permanent economic solutions or changes...

Longer commutes, busier parents, lack of safe and accessible recreation, combined with ready access to junk food and fast foods has made life for Costa Rican school kids more sedentary and filled with greater risks for obesity, and later development of diabetes and other consequences. The 2017 School Weight and Height Survey, conducted by the Costa Rican Ministry of Health in conjunction with t...

Last week, it was potassium dichromate, and yesterday, it was bleach. Two toddlers in the past two weeks in Costa Rica nearly lost their lives due to mishandling of toxic chemicals in the home. Potassium dichromate is bright orange and it main victims of poisoning are young children who confuse it with soda pop or juice due to its bright orange color when diluted in water. It doesn't help th...

Football Club Barcelona (FC Barcelona) has announced the opening of its second soccer school in Central America, this time it will be located in San José, Costa Rica; the first one was opened in early 2017 in Guatemala. This is part of the international expansion of the project FCBEscola and will represent the 37th school in the world and the 18th in the American Continent. FC Barcelona also...

From November 7-15 in the Mal Pais - Santa Teresa area on the southern Nicoya Peninsula, instructors from The Netherlands will offer a survival swim class for children aged two to 12. Private and semi-private lessons are available in 1, 3 or 7-lesson packages. The class instructors describe the activity as follows: "Baby survival is a special technique for very young children (under 2 year ...

The eagle logo on Costa Rica's national beer, Imperial, is now taking on new meaning, as the company sends out volunteers, called "Aguilas al Rescate" or "Eagles to the Rescue," on different community improvement projects. The company's first initiative is being carried out in conjunction with the Costas Verdes foundation, and involves planting native trees along the central Pacific coast of Co...

Keeping kids from dropping out of school has topped the Education Ministry's agenda for years in Costa Rica, and some advances have been made. However the past two years the percentage who drop out at some point during the school year has remained steady at 2 percent. That translated into 14,606 students who have dropped out so far this year, according to data from the ministry. The mid-year...

Over 13,000 teens in Costa Rica became mothers this year. Pregnancy in teens not only has increased health risks for young expectant women, but is a direct contributor to limited educational and economic opportunities for women throughout their lives. This and other data on the topic of teenage sexuality was recently presented at the National University (UNA) in Heredia. A new law that we...

Subway Costa Rica and the non-profit housing initiative, TECHO, have joined to aid children living in extreme poverty in Guararí de Heredia. Subway Costa Rica teamed up with TECHO on an initiative called: “Para vos, para alguien más, y los que más lo necesitan,” "For you, for someone else, and those who need it most." The company will donate US$20,000 to TECHO for the construction of a new m...

Reports of a shooting were received by police yesterday, Sunday, October 29, at 8:30 p.m. in a farming community outside of the tourist destination of La Fortuna - Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica. The incident involved the head of the Traffic Police unit for La Fortuna in the district of San Carlos, Alajuela in the north-central region of Costa Rica. Pedro Arce Araya (56) fatally shot his 19-year...

KidZania is one of the fastest growing kids’ entertainment franchises with 24 locations in 20 countries and 11 new locations under development; it consists on an interactive kids’ city which combines fun and learning and has different options for young children and teens up to 14 years of age. KidZania was created in Mexico and the franchise is being brought to Costa Rica by Cuestamoras Urbanis...

Commercial centers in an around San José, Costa Rica have a full agenda lined up with free events for kids and families to celebrate Halloween in a safe, comfortable environment. On Friday, October 27, from 2 - 6 p.m., Lincoln Plaza in Moravia, east of downtown San José, offers an afternoon of fun with inflatables, cotton candy, treats and face-painting, with a trick-or-treating session from 3 ...

The Titanic in Costa Rica was the name of a very popular bar back in the 60’s-70’s shaped like a boat and located close to what is now the Children’s Museum, eventually it shut down and earlier this year it was acquired by the Foundation Ayúdenos para Ayudar (Helps us Help) with the objective of transforming it into a new cultural space. The newly acquired area was entirely remodeled, the inves...

Cinepolis in Terramall inaugurates today its second movie theater specially designed for children. The “Sala Junior” is a movie theater that incorporates different attractions for young children, these include a playground, slides, balls pool, among other safe areas for kids to enjoy. The idea of these space is that parents can take their kids to the movies without having to worry about them...