Bringing your kids to Ecuador?

Welcome to the forum debdeb

I hope members around the region will bring you accurate and genuine responses and share their experience with you soon

Regards

Hi Debdeb
You asked the sort of questions that we have been asking others. I hope someone will post an answer.
We have a 3 and 2 year old in our home.

Good Luck!

Joy

Hello,

I just moved to Quito, Ecuador with my 3 year old daughter and my second daughter will be born here within the next month.  Before moving here, my daughter and I had visited here and had extended stays here several times.  I have never felt that mine or my daughters safety was threatened. On the contrary, I have felt that children and a mothers are greatly respected in Ecuadorian culture.  However, as it is with any place, extra precautions should be taken at night or walking through parks after dark, and thieves are more after things (such as fancy cellphones or cameras).  As I said though, I would never have moved here to be raising my children here if I didn't feel it was as safe as I was in Southern California.

I am still looking at schools for my daughter.  There are an abundance of schools here in Quito, but since I am not in a rush to get her in one, I am taking my time to consider several before I enroll her in one.  I will keep you all posted on how her/our experience goes with this....

Thank you Lilybella,
You are amongst the first positive posts I see and I find this very reassuring.
We should be visiting Ecuador next April - and if it "fits", we should be moving permanently in 2012.
Thx
DD

Thank you Lilybella,
I am grateful for your post. We are moving to San Felipe, Mexico in January. Currently, we are in Northern California for work.
We thought, moving to San Felipe, Mexico will help us adjust to not living in the US. We are renting a furnished beach home right at the beach by the Sea of Cortez for about $800 a month.
San Diego is about 3 hours away. As we adjust to life in Mexico we get prepared to live in Ecuador. We should be in Ecuador around February or March. Hopefully, we can connect.
Thanks Again,

Sedona

We just returned from Ecuador and we put our son in school in a small town two hours North of Quito.  There is a lot of different schools and different qualities of education there.  We put our son in first grade because he is currently in first grade here in the United States.  The curriculum was quite a bit behind the school curriculum here in the states.  We left him in that school because we were more interested in him learning Spanish than in what he was learning in school.  Next year when we return to live in Ecuador we will look for a school that challenges him a little more. As we were only there two months, he was able to learn a lot of Spanish.

Regarding kidnappings/abductions, the risk is a lot less than here in the states.  One of the reasons is the sheer number of people out on the streets.  Most people walk and ride public transportation, an abductor wouldn't have the anonymity that they often do on the abandoned streets in the States.  We even allowed our son to walk to and from school while we were there in Ecuador, something we would never do here in the states.  Obviously you need to always use common sense and not go into dangerous areas or be out late at night, etc. We feel very safe with our four children in Ecuador.  I'm more afraid of sickness than violence in Ecuador.

Thank you for your response. I think that common sens is what we need most when traveling. Luckily, it doesn't take much room in the luggage.
We are finalizing our voyage and should be gone in the next 2 weeks.
DD

Debdeb,

I grew up in Quito until I was 13, then moved to the States and came back a little over 3 years ago with my now 3 1/2 year old daughter.
In Quito, you have many choices for education. I wouldn't recommend public school as our system is not the same as the US, however there are several schools that are 100% English, biligual, offer IB and AP programs and things that I know I'm looking for in a school for my daughter.

I am as concerned about my daughter's safety here as I would be in Westchester where she was born. Some extra precautions must be taken --kids must not walk out on the streets on their own, not even to the school bus stop, no bike riding on the street as drivers here are not respectful of people, and some other things that you end up getting used to.

I wouldn't move to a smaller city, even being an Ecuadorian, because of schools and health; they are so much easy to access in big cities. Quito and Cuenca can be big, but you can find good, tranquil neighborhoods inside and a few miles from the city and enjoy all the extras the city has to offer. And if you get in the car you are literally less than 2 hours from small towns and the country.

Hope this helps.

Thank you!
We just got back from our 3 month trip to Ecuador - what a ride!!  a beautiful country, with friendly people. We liked most of the cities we visited and I agree that Cuenca can be a very nice city to live in. We are still thinking about our destination and think we'll be moving there permanently within the next 2 years.

Hi! All of this is very positive and very helpful! I am moving there within the month with my eight year old. It appears we will be moving to Cuenca. Does anyone know anything about the homeschooling network? Any information on how I can do this would be wonderful. She has always gone to a public school here in the states. I am excited! Yall have settled some of my worries.

Sharlied

I moved here 7 years ago with my children who were then 9, 10, and 15.  I just have to reply to the person who said there are not as many kidnappings here as in the US.  Extremely not true.  Kidnappings particularly in Guayaquil (where I live) and Quito are increasing heavily.  The common MO is with taxis, including yellow cabs.  This is happening with gringos and Ecuadorians.  You must be very careful about taxis. They will typically drive you around from ATM to ATM for hours until you withdraw your limit.  Sometimes they will hold you until after midnight so that you can withdraw more.  Women are sometimes sexually assaulted.
As far as schooling goes. I put my daughters in school for a couple years to help them learn Spanish.  I now homeschool.  There are several English language textbook stores here in Guayaquil with many choices for all subjects and all levels from pre-school to university.
I am a high school teacher here, and school quality varies.  I would avoid public schools as the quality is generally not good.  I have found that schools here that are good are actually ore advanced than in the states.  Students at the high school where I teach now are required to take very advanced levels of math and sciences.  In the states my children were not required to take physics, advanced chemistry, etc.  I teach in a bilingual school.  The problem with some of these schools is that the students must take entrance exams before being admitted.  My kids had difficulties with this, being older because they could not pass the Spanish grammar exams.  I believe they could now, but they are doing well in home school, so I dont think I will put them in school at this point.
The other good thing that I have seen here in high school, at least where I teach, is that the students are very close.  I have never seen any bullying.  I asked some of my students recently if they have ever seen it at school and they said no.  There are no drug problems that have been reported at my school.  Parents are notified if homework isnt turned in or the student gets a bad grade on the test.  Parents are kept in the loop and much more involved in their childrens educations.
Im happy to answer any questions anyone might have about schools here, or life with kids in Ecuador.  I am sure that my daughters who are 15 and 16 now would also be happy to correspond with any kids who are coming here to let them know about life here as well

This is a question for Just_a_mirage, I am wondering why, if the kidnapping or "express kidnapping" is increasing in your area why are staying there?
I am also wondering if the kidnapping of children is a problem?  Not just the "express kidnapping".
Our family is vacationing there this year to see if we'd ever want to live there.
Thank you,

How does homeschooling work for those of you who have decided to homeschool and work?

We are planning to move to Ecuador in about a year with a then 5th grader and a 3rd grader. I'd love to hear about any specific schools that folks could recommend in the Quito area or in Cotacachi.  It looks like private school is the way to go to keep our kids on track for the year we will be there. There Spanish will be only basic at that stage. (we're working on it already, but have a ways to go). I've heard good things about The British School outside of Quito, but would love some other options too.

FYI Just_a_mirage has not posted for 3 years, so at this point she is just a mirage.

Dear Cara,

Some years ago I signed a contract to work in México. The contract included payment for the schools of our choice. They both went to "the finest" school in Guadalajara. After dinner each night it was customary for the children to bring up any subject they wanted. When they were some what older it included "sex, drugs n rock n roll" ... anything! Two weeks into the school year our daughter (the spokesperson) told us they hated the school. When asked why the response from both was instant ... "They are so stuck-up." When asked where they wanted to go we were stocked but agreed to give it a try. ff they went to a public school in the village next to us with their poor friends but good friends. About a decade later we moved back to Charlottesville, VA. Coming from a foreign they needed to be pre-tested at the County Education Building. They both passed (English included) and passed with flying colors. Included is a link you may enjoy. It will end soon ... rush! http://www.kelticknot.us/children.html
She also went on to Smith College in Northampton - it was a 4 year, full ride. Point being primary México education is solid. The main reason is that the maestro / maestra is still the Master of the classroom not the kids or their parents. The 'Director' of the school was the Captain of the Ship and the Masters were his First Mates. Just the way it once was here in the USA. My first overseas assignment was to Kuwait in 1970. I saw lots and lots of strange things but one stands out and is 'timely'. The Royal Family are Muslims to be sure but the cream of the Family was sent to the USA for K-12, plus 13-16 or 13-18. They did not pick their school but rather all went to the same Catholic schools in Washington, DC so the Ambassador to the USA from Kuwait and his extended staff could keep tabs on the boys. All the Kuwaiti watch dogs have been black slaves from the Sudan. Slavery ended in 1961 when Kuwait received its independence from Great Britain. Not one slave in Kuwait left his post when freed. There was a local joke that contained more truth than humor. A dog (just above a dead pig) in the Palace was nothing but a dog! However, that dog in the street is a Sheikh! The joke applied to Royal dogs and blacks. When my friend Fiz (name only given to a slave) Abdulla (name of the Amir [King] at the time of Fiz;s birth) Dezmani (of the Royal Palace) - First, Middle and Last names.

A routine and a measured amount of discipline never hurt. Kids are made to bounce right along unlike we older adults. Let him have a say and he will do better. Let him see all the options he might surprise you. Dissension making while accelerate maturity in positive ways. Allow the following year to be exciting and interesting as possible for him. He can always do the year over when you return to the USA if needed.

Best of Times Ahead ... Tom

We've been here from 5+ years. Our daughter was 8 when we arrived and we've had no safety issues involving her. Before we arrived, we were concerned for her safety - she is blond with blue eyes.

I can't comment to the quality of education. We continued to home-school her after we arrived - just like we did in Canada. We like to have control over her education.

Bryan, thank you for your reply. I read your blog assiduously before coming to Cuenca. We have been here for 2 years now and are very happy. So are the kids.
deb

Nice. I didn't realize that this thread was so old.  Sorry about that. I haven't been on here for a while and just noticed the question.

Glad to hear that you're enjoying Cuenca!

I am so glad this thread isn't totally dead! I am considering moving to Cuenca, Ecuador with my two boys (ages 10 and 6). Any tips or links on where to find unfurnished rental homes (18 months-2 years)? Google isn't helping me out much. I have so many questions and am very nervous! We're coming alone, my hubby is active duty, but is being deployed. We've spent the last four years in Japan together, and love it! But this is a very English friendly country, I'm worried about connecting utilities and enrolling the kids in school with limited (but studying) Spanish. Thanks!

pinkcookie wrote:

Any tips or links on where to find unfurnished rental homes (18 months-2 years)? Google isn't helping me out much.

Gringo Tree

Gringo Post

Gringo nights

Visit:  gringotree.com, gringopost.com and the "monton de eventos de gringos" in Cuenca.

cccmedia

pinkcookie wrote:

I am so glad this thread isn't totally dead!....Google isn't helping me out much. I have so many questions and am very nervous! We're coming alone, my hubby is...being deployed....I'm worried about connecting utilities and enrolling the kids in school with limited Spanish.

Relax, 'Cookie.  It's all working out.

Cuenca is a safe and friendly place.   And this isn't your first tango.

cccmedia

Splurge tip:  consider getting a massage.

Thank you! I've heard of only one of those sites so far, I appreciate the others!

True! Although I did have the safety net of multiple resources offered by the base (from translation services, to a commissary bringing in our favorite foods!). The more I learn about Ecuador, the more excited I am! I absolutely can not wait until May!

pinkcookie wrote:

Thank you! I've heard of only one of those sites so far, I appreciate the others!

Actually, the third one -- Gringo nights* and "eventos" -- isn't a Cuenca website.

It's the true concept that Cuenca has more meet-and-greets and other Expat-oriented events than any other place in Ecuador.  So it's a way to network your path to getting an apartment or other family needs.

You can also find support at any point at the Expat.com thread "Unofficial web page of the greater Cuenca Expat community."  There's already a wealth of information there.

To get to that thread, type "greater Cuenca Expat community" into the Expat.com box that normally appears at the top of this page.  Then click on the search icon to the right of said box.

cccmedia in Quito

*Here's a fact I stumbled upon in fact-checking this post that Nards and friends may appreciate.  There is a "font" (printer's typeface) called Gringo Nights.  If anyone requires stationary or letterhead during this "epoca," consider requesting or selecting Gringo Nights.
(dafont.com)

You're seriously a life saver, thank you for the great info!

Here are a few more:

http://casas.trovit.com.ec/http://www.doplim.ec/http://www.adoos.ec/http://quito.blidoo.com.ec/http://quito.olx.com.ec/

I think all of these offer the option of choosing a specific city. Most are in Spanish, which leads me to think they might have somewhat lower prices than English-language sites (though I can't prove that).

Thank you so much!

I am working on my paper work I am a us citizen like to move to Ecuador  on my pension income to apply for
permanent residency I thing 9-1 visa  if you can help me to get the visa I will takecare of you $  but what type
of document I need to bring with  me thank you  warsad  safer  by the way I am a single and divorce with no
children please let know if you can

warstad wrote:

I am working on my paper work I am a us citizen like to move to Ecuador on my pension income to apply for
permanent residency I think 9-I visa....I am a single and divorced with no
children.

Some of the papers you may need are as follows, and many of these would require translation in Ecuador and apostilles (international certifications) from the relevant jurisdictions....

Proof of monthly pension income of $800 or more.

Marriage and divorce certificates.

Birth certificate.

Police and FBI background checks covering the past five years.

I am not a facilitator or official source.  You can visit the Cancillería/ministry website's official immigrant-visa-information page in English at:
       cancilleria.gob.ec/visas-inmigrante/?lang=en

Expats who can afford it usually take the path of least resistance and hire a qualified attorney, although obtaining a residency visa can technically be done without attorney or visa-facilitator assistance.  Send me a PM if you want an attorney referral in Quito.

Technically, this is a thread about bringing kids to Ecuador, so if you post about this on the forum again, consider starting a new thread or using an existing 'visa' thread.  For instance, Top Cat's active thread "2015 - anybody in the Ecuador visa pipelines?"

cccmedia in Quito

We have an 8 month and 8 year old. If it's in your budget Quito has some of the best schools, such as the International School.

I am of the opinion that the small towns are much safer than any of the major cities. I think traffic is much more of a safety issue than crime.

We briefly moved to the north coast, but lack of a decent school was one of the problems we faced in that area. Even on the far north coast (1 hour north of Esmereldas) I never felt threatened or was worried about kidknapping or violence. The biggest problems we had were horses eating our coconut trees.

We are about to move to Canoa which is more or less central coast. One of the deciding factors was the Unidad Educativa Interamericano, in Bahía 20 minutes to the south. It seems to be the best option for quality education while allowing us to live in a safe small town. Unidad Educativa Interamericano is $150 per month. We currently pay $350 per month in Quito. In Las Peñas north of Esmereldas the only school in town was $14 per month. All of these schools are primarily in Spanish and do not offer an international education such as the international schools or IB schools.

Hi Jessekimmerling,

Our family is also considering Canoa (we have a 9 month old and a 3 year old). Do you know if there are many expats with young children there? Is it family friendly (parks, safety, etc)? Would love to know more about the expat community there!

Thanks!

There is a town park and of course there is the beach. The main road can be dangerous. It's a tourist destination, so there's a bit more drunk driving than many other spots. Overall, Canoa is very mellow, especially if you manage to move a few minutes outside of town. Being a beach town, it gets wild during holidays.

There's a lot of kids, both local and expat. The local kids tend to "play" really rough.

Real estate prices in the area are super inflated, but there's still a few good spots north of the Canoa River and to the south in the el Recreo development. If you can handle the roosters and dogs, there's a couple decently priced lots in town. None of the reasonable deals are online. You gotta cruise around calling the numbers you see on hand scrawled signs.

I am just starting to research living abroad. I have a 4yo & 8mo. Schools are important, as well as health care. There has been a lot of discussion about school, but what about health care? Do schools require vaccination records? Are exemptions allowed? Are there decent specialists available (neurologist)?
We would like to plan a visit, but I have no idea where to visit . . .we would like the mountains more than the coast. Cities are ok, but we wouldn't want to live right in it. We do have dogs and would like a yard. . . . How do I best get a feel for the real Ecuador and not just the tourist version when we visit?
Jesskimm - what do you mean when you say the local kids play "rough"? I think that may be fine with my youngest as he gets older, but my oldest is a bit on the sensitive side . . .

fascinar wrote:

Are there decent specialists available (neurologist)?
We would like to plan a visit, but I have no idea where to visit . . .we would like the mountains more than the coast. Cities are ok, but we wouldn't want to live right in it. We do have dogs and would like a yard.

Welcome to the Ecuador forum, Fascinar.

If your family has special medical needs such as neurologist or other specialists and wants the best medical care, you are probably best off in the highlands -- specifically, Quito and Cuenca.  Outstanding care is available at Hospitals Metropolitano and Eugenio Espejo (both Quito), for example.

The Quito suburbs, including Tumbaco and Cumbayá, have been experiencing growth in popularity, and would give your family the possibilities of running your dogs in the yard and outdoor swimming, yet still with access to Quito and its medical facilities.

Not everybody adjusts well to high altitudes, and some of the highland-city altitudes are thousands of feet higher than Denver, the mile-high city.  Quito sits at over 9,300 feet.  Cuenca and the Quito suburbs are at least 1,000 feet lower in altitude.

Cuenca has good hospital care, with good reports coming in about the IESS government healthcare program in that city.  There are nearby towns you may wish to consider for residency.

Ecuador's coast has started to boom, but the communities there have smaller populations and the healthcare hasn't caught up with the cities mentioned above in this post.

Guayaquil is Ecuador's largest city -- hot, humid, crime-challenged.  It may take years for the largest IESS hospital there to right its ship re the corruption and sub-standard care recently revealed.  Guayaquil is about 90 minutes from the Pacific beachfront.

Let us know on the appropriate thread if you need visa guidance.

cccmedia in Quito

fascinar wrote:

How do I best get a feel for the real Ecuador and not just the tourist version when we visit?

Here are the Top Ten Ways to Get a Feel for the Real Ecuador and Not Just the Tourist Version....

#10.  Don't sign up for a tour.

#9.  Eat meals at local places, not North American fast-food franchisees.

#8.  Start improving your español now, so you can converse more easily.

#7.  Travel on the buses instead of taxis, and get off at little known paradas such as Vaca de Castro. 

#6.  Walk the neighborhoods and stop in at the local places.

#5.  Put on your sneakers and play basketball or soccer.

#4.  Take a long walk in the biggest park you can find...and observe.

#3.  Buy fruit at the local mercado and not SuperMaxi.

#2.  Keep asking questions of the locals.

And the #1 way to get a feel for the real Ecuador and not just the tourist version....

#1.  Stay out of Gringolandia!


cccmedia in Quito

I definitely appreciate all the info!! It gives us an idea of where to go for our first visit and a little idea about what to expect. I am glad to have a place where I can ask questions and get great answers!
Speaking of questions-
1) carseats?? Would a car be needed in the areas you mentioned (Cuenca or its suburbs) or Is the public transportation far reaching (keeping in mind the yard/dog thing). I keep hearing the drivers are aggressive/crazy compared to here in the SE US. And do people use carseats?
2) is there a certain age you have to be for the retirement visa or can you just show that you have the correct amount of monthly income and can "retire"? We are in our late 30s, so really far away from America's retirement age (of 62 as a State employee where I am). 
3) how easy/difficult would it be to get a visa to work part time (database management &/or massage therapy) and would there be fairly easy opportunities to work at a touristy place (hotel spa, etc) as a masseuse?
Thank you, thank you, thank you so much!!

From the pinned post at the top of the page entitled New online "Ecuador guide" you want to go to the category of Immigrant Visas.

https://www.expat.com/en/guide/south-am … uador.html

I attempted to link to the actual government visa page itself, but today it seems, that page is only accessible in Spanish, the English does not seem to be working. (Ecuador government websites seem to frequently malfunction).

At any rate, In order to live in Ecuador, work in Ecuador, take your children to live in Ecuador, you would need permanent residency visas - immigrant category. The government website details the qualifications and requirements for various types of permanent residency visas.

So before you put the cart in front of the horse, take a detailed look at what is required to qualify for residency visas, and then consider how you might make it work.