Introduction: The family is the people’s primary reference center, which determines that the way in which they interpret reality is constituted as a model that guides and gives meaning to the actions of its members, so it can be a protective factor under poverty conditions. Objective: To describe the relationship between the theoretical conceptions about family and poverty with the family experience of 15 women living under this condition Methods: Qualitative study in a commune of Santiago. Semi-structured interviews and the SV-RES Resilience Scale were used. Data were collected between November 2012 and January 2013. The analysis was performed according to the Grounded Theory procedures. Results: The family is defined by three central and indispensable aspects: a) communication, b) affection and c) life prospects. Poverty is defined and associated with the lack of resources and by the dependence relationships. The shared goals appear as differentiating elements in the families that will follow the trajectories of poverty, not in relationship with individual routes. Conclusions: The family in a poverty situation must be discovered in their reality, in order to help them face the task of emerging with their own strengths and potentialities, strengthening their capacity to form human capital, enhancing the real integration of everyone who forms the society and allowing the construction of inclusive representation systems.