About CALISCO

CALISCO stands for Caring Listeners Community. We are a team of individuals mentored and trained to serve through the ministry of caring listening. Our work is guided by the LIT Program—Learn, Integrate, Teach—which equips parents and caregivers with the knowledge and skills to mentor and raise children in a loving, value-based environment.

At CALISCO, we believe every child has a story, potential, and unique needs. Our mission is to encounter every child with love and understanding, regardless of their past. Through joyful, simple, and impactful methods, we provide alternative forms of learning that nurture their growth and wellbeing.

We don’t just listen — we build relationships, especially with children from vulnerable backgrounds, to restore hope and ignite potential. By empowering families and promoting collective responsibility, we aim to raise a generation that values compassion, unity, and spiritual growth.

Rooted in Biblical inspiration and informed by modern research, CALISCO believes in solving real problems through the power of caring listening. Our foundation is shaped by verses such as:

• “If my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will take me up.” — Psalm 27:10
• “Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you.” — Isaiah 49:15
• “Let the little children come to me… for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” — Matthew 19:14

We recognize a policy gap in child-focused leadership efforts globally. Inspired by scholars (Wang & Ran, 2023), we aim to take a leading role in cross-sector collaboration, helping stakeholders—families, communities, churches, and institutions—work together effectively to secure every child’s future.

Our Family Ministry seeks to enhance the role of the family as the core institution of society. Inspired by our diocesan theme: “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch,” we address concerns like declining infant baptisms and marriages, which reflect a weakening of family-centered faith engagement.

CALISCO encourages families to nurture faith and embrace the sacraments within a supportive church and social environment. We facilitate partnerships between families, churches, and governments to rebuild the family as a unit of spiritual, emotional, and moral strength.

To overcome the attitude of dominance through increased awareness of the power of compassion, especially toward children and vulnerable members of society.

We are committed to learning from past mistakes, rediscovering and integrating cultural values, rituals, and systems to raise children in peace and purpose.

To reestablish a communal social system that promotes and protects family capacity building for the wellbeing of all humanity.

• Empower stakeholders to provide better care through training, coaching, and mentoring.
• Reinforce cultural beliefs and values in nurturing care.
• Mobilize resources to support child development programs.
• Evaluate and improve programs using data and feedback.
• Achieve holistic human wellbeing through a united community approach.

• Increased child enrollment in CALISCO programs
• Enhanced skills among caregivers, parents, and children
• Accountable use of resources and funding
• Visible acts of collective responsibility within communities

1. Shared responsibility for child development
2. Service through sacrificial listening
3. Belief in the potential of every human being
4. Strong support for the communal system
5. Commitment to transforming children’s lives
6. Promoting the family as society’s core unit
7. Open collaboration with people of goodwill

Inspired by Luke 10:42, we teach caregivers to encourage children to listen and learn through storytelling and faith-based dialogue.

Following Matthew 19:14, we prepare children to live by cardinal virtues—prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance—fostering a positive environment.

As Proverbs 22:6 reminds us, we support children to teach others, enhancing their confidence, communication, and creativity while making faith practical.

1. Know why you’re listening
2. Be mindful of how you listen
3. Communicate your purpose for listening
4. Stay emotionally calm
5. Ask open-ended questions
6. Avoid gossip by staying focused on present individuals
7. End with the reflective question:
8. “Did I help you see what’s happening in your life?”

• We are created with purpose and potential
• We discover life’s meaning through gifts and service
• Listening is a powerful tool of influence and love
• We grow through self-knowledge and critical thinking
• We live as role models, and nurture a safe, loving family environment

Blending Cultural Wisdom + Multiple Intelligences + SDGs

Each week connects a Biblical story, a learning theme, and a Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), such as:

• Leadership like young David – Goal 1: No Poverty
• Responsibility like Miriam – Goal 2: Zero Hunger
• Obedience like Isaac – Goal 3: Health and Wellbeing
• Offering like Abel – Goal 15: Life on Land

The final weeks involve evaluation, certification, and commissioning of new Caring Listener Family (CLF) members.

Our impact is measured using OECD criteria, with outcomes tied to real-world SDG benchmarks such as:

• Reducing child abuse and violence
• Promoting access to justice
• Supporting peaceful institutions
• Encouraging transparency, inclusion, and cooperation
• Protecting human dignity for all

At CALISCO, our joy and purpose lie in accompanying children on their journey toward a better tomorrow. Each child empowered is a step closer to a transformed community. As we walk this journey together—families, churches, caregivers, and society—we believe:

✨ Every child has a future. Every story matters. Every ear that listens brings healing.