As mentioned before, the São Martinho politic-pedagogic, project defines the socio-pedagogic actions as well as defense and formation actions as the lines that make up all the work developed in the Institution.

The first contact with the institution usually occurs through the Socio–Educational Centre (SEC), which supports children and adolescents from 6 to 18 years of age who are living or working in the streets. The main goal is to reinstate their family ties for the purpose of promoting the return home when possible — and, if not, to provide their sent on to São Martinho’s homes or to others institutions alike. In 2004, the SEC attended per day to an average of 50 (fifty) boys and girls who live or work in the streets.

In october the project started to focus the socio-pedagogic attendance on the external activities. The approach of these boys and girls is done through the work of our social educators right in the street, in which diferent socio-educational activities are made. This way, the services held in the SEC building have been directed to specific and emergency situations, together with the other projects of the institution. 

São Martinho maintains a total of three homes in Rio de Janeiro, in Lapa, Glória and Vicente de Carvalho and two in Niterói. Each one shelters a maximum of 45 children separated between the ages of 6 and 14 to 18 years old.

Decisions on where to place them depends on two grounds: when the child attended to at SEC expresses a desire to leave the street, or when the child is sent on by the following: Trusteeship Council, the Minors´o Court, by the Municipal Secretariat for Social Development  and / or the Foundation for the Infancy and Adolescence.

On showing up the child is enrolled in formal schooling and starts living in a family atmosphere that gives most importance to friendship, respect and trust, and he participates in a number of socio–educational, pedagogic and recreational activities. And when his background permits, the team does a special job of reapproximation between the child and his family, in an effort to fulfil the most important objective of the Home, which is to get the child back into his family.

São Martinho professionals feel that it is imperative to find professional alternatives compatible with the child’s aptitudes and preferences, for him to be able to effectively take his place in society and assume responsibility for his independence, considering that — he leaves the institution on reaching 18 years of age.