Loving families for orphans in Thailand

Dear friend,

We’re excited to share the latest updates on our work in Thailand, where we’ve been making strides in our mission to move children out of institutions and into loving family homes.

Translating "My Family" Materials: Our Thai team has been hard at work translating training materials for "My Family," our new digital training tool we plan to trial in Thailand. This has been both an enjoyable and challenging process as we carefully select terminology that is not only accurate but also culturally appropriate. While tools like Google Translate and ChatGPT can offer quick translations, our team is dedicated to ensuring that the language we use is professional, easily understood, and resonates with the communities we serve.

Focus on Khon Kaen: This year, we’ve concentrated our training and coaching efforts in north-eastern Thailand, particularly in Khon Kaen. We’re working closely with child welfare homes and shelters for children and families to develop practices that prioritize family-based care. It’s crucial that these institutions collaborate to create clear, permanent care plans for the children. When children cannot return to their birth families, we are actively seeking local families to step in and provide the care they need.

Empowering Family Carers: We’ve also had numerous opportunities to train family carers and the children in their care alongside the staff from child welfare homes and shelters. These training sessions have become valuable spaces for family carers to come together, share experiences, and learn from each other. The encouragement and support they receive in these sessions are vital for their ongoing commitment to providing loving homes for vulnerable children.

Collaborative Efforts in Khon Kaen: Our work in Khon Kaen is part of a collaborative effort with two other like-minded NGOs. Initially, we planned to work across four different regions, but this approach spread our resources too thin. We decided to focus on Khon Kaen because of the strong support and buy-in from our government partners, including the child welfare homes and surrounding shelters. This focused approach has allowed us to make a more significant impact in the region.

Thank you for your continued support. Your contributions are helping us create a brighter future for children in Thailand, ensuring they grow up in safe, nurturing families.