Loving families for orphans in Thailand

Care for Children's project in Thailand, launched in 2012, has continued to make remarkable progress, with a focus on creating lasting impacts and sustainable practices in family-based care. Over the years, the project has conducted 228 workshops, providing valuable training to 4,387 government staff and facilitating the placement of approximately 165 children into loving families each year.

As it stands, the emphasis lies on empowering local workforces and ensuring a sustainable legacy of family-based care. This strategic approach will enable Care for Children to responsibly phase down direct project work delivery while leaving a lasting impact in the capable hands of the local community and government.

Recent workshops across various regions of Thailand have been instrumental in advancing this mission. From intensive coaching sessions with social workers and foster care staff in Chiang Mai to training new foster families in Buriram, each session has aimed at strengthening the foster care system and promoting the well-being of children in need.

A highlight of this year was the launch of the national media campaign, which involved bringing influential public figures together to encourage and promote family-based care as an alternative to institutional care. This was a remarkableevent with senior government ministers, foster families, child welfare staff, Care for Children staff, PR agency staff, media experts, national press and 'Key Opinion Leaders' in attendance. An estimated 2.7 million people were reached in this collaborative effort to recruit more foster families.

In Phuket, the team engaged with staff at a private care institution to re-establish parent-child relationships and highlight the challenges associated with residential care. Similarly, in Khon Kaen, collaboration with stakeholders emphasized the importance of family-based care and assessed the community's strengths and weaknesses affecting child separation and reunification.

Continuing this momentum, upcoming plans involve training Child Welfare Homes and Shelters for Children and Families in Chiang Mai Province on the significance of care plans. Additionally, there's a focus on collaborating with NGOs to reinforce family support and explore multiple pathways for children to return to family care.

The project's commitment to empowering local communities and promoting family-based care signifies a promising future for Thailand's child welfare system. As things progress, we’ll make sure to keep you updated! Thank you for your support and for staying connected to our work.