SOS Children's Village Calais is located in the city of the same name with about 78,000 inhabitants in the department of Pas-de-Calais in northern France, about two and a half hour's drive from Paris. Calais is an important port and traffic junction being located at the continental end of the tunnel beyond the English Channel which is linking Great Britain to the rest of Europe.
The SOS Children's Village became operational in May 1965, when the first children moved into rented family houses. Between 1970 and 1975, the first family houses were built.
Today, SOS Children's Village Calais consists of ten family houses with a total capacity of 50 children, a transit home for young people who are staying at the village for a limited time, and a community house comprising office rooms and rooms for social activities, workshops etc.
The SOS Children's Village is situated in a residential area of the city, with primary schools, a secondary school and a high school nearby. The family houses – each of them equipped with a garden – are spread over five streets, which promotes the integration of the children into the neighbourhood.