During the second half of 19th century, the institution known as Tecpan de Santiago worked as a charity, dedicated to the protection, education and detention of juvenile delinquents, vagrants and orphans. It was intended to train them as productive citizens, offering industrial education through several workshops, including a printing and lithographic press and a bindery. In 1872 this printing took over the development of El Correo de los Niños, one of the most important children's periodicals published in Mexico at the time. This article explores the work of the workshop along different stages of development of such institution, culminating in the publishing of the famous periodical. At the same time, it discusses some of the discourses used in the press of the time to justify this form of unpaid labor.