After 14 years, Care for Children’s work in Thailand is drawing to a close. During this time, we have worked alongside the Thai government to strengthen the national child protection system and equip social workers and practitioners across the country to develop high-quality child welfare systems with family care at the centre.
As we celebrate the progress made together, we are now beginning the process of transitioning out of Thailand. This is a natural part of Care for Children’s approach: rather than creating long-term dependence on our presence, we aim to equip governments and local professionals to lead sustainable change that will continue long into the future.
As our work in Thailand draws to an end, Jane Arnott (Thailand Project Manager) shares her reflections on the significance of the last decade of Care for Children’s work in Thailand:
“Fourteen years ago, family care in Thailand was still limited. Only eight of the country’s thirty government child welfare homes were operating family placement programmes, meaning many children who could not remain with their birth families still grew up in residential care far from everything familiar to them.
Over the past fourteen years, Care for Children has had the privilege of working alongside government leaders, social workers, caregivers and communities as Thailand’s family care system steadily expanded and strengthened.
Today, all 30 government child welfare homes and all 77 Shelters for Children and Families across Thailand have received family care training through Care for Children. The number of child welfare homes operating family care programmes has doubled, and hundreds more children have had the opportunity to grow up in families rather than institutions.
Statistics tell only part of the story. Family care changes the everyday experiences of childhood.
A child growing up in residential care may share one caregiver with many other children. In a foster family, that child experiences the simple but life-changing reality of belonging - sharing meals, family routines, celebrations and relationships that help them feel safe and loved.
For some young people, the impact lasts far into adulthood. One former foster child, after leaving to study nursing at university, carefully saved money so she could fly her foster carers to attend her wedding - the family who had loved and supported her were there to celebrate as she began her own family life.
Alongside supporting individual children, Care for Children also worked with government partners to strengthen Thailand’s wider family care system. Thai officials and practitioners participated in international study visits and conferences, helping inspire new approaches to family-based care. This collaboration contributed to the development of Thailand’s national Family Care Guidelines and the expansion of family care services across all 77 Shelters for Children and Families nationwide.
This expansion has helped reduce one of the hidden hardships many children previously faced: being moved far away from their communities, schools, culture and support networks. Increasing family care closer to children’s own communities gives them a greater opportunity to maintain those important connections and experience stability in their lives.
Over the years, relationships have deepened, understanding has grown and a shared commitment has developed around the importance of children growing up in loving families wherever possible.
Family care systems are never finished, and there will always be opportunities to improve. But after fourteen years, there is real reason for hope.
Thailand now has a growing network of committed professionals, family carers and leaders working to ensure more vulnerable children can experience safety, stability, belonging and love.
Thailand now has a growing network of committed professionals, family carers and leaders working to ensure more vulnerable children can experience safety, stability, belonging and love.
And for every child who now has someone to call family, that work is already changing the future.”
