In June 2016, Care for Children’s initial three-year project partnership with the IKEA Foundation came to an end. In just three years, this project achieved so much. In China, we completed our roll-out of family-based (foster) care across the country, training 33 care institutions and almost 400 people in family placement. In Thailand, we completed a successful pilot and managed to roll out our core training programme to a further 10 care institutions across the country. Here is a selection of impact stories from the three years…
New Chinese legislation…
Care for Children partners with governments in Asia to help them place orphaned and abandoned children into local foster families.
In 2014, the Chinese government formally recognized foster care as a positive alternative to institutional care for children. This historic change is largely the result of the training, advocacy and awareness raising work undertaken by Care for Children with support from the IKEA Foundation. Since the revised policy has been officially adopted, demand by orphanages for training in family placement has increased dramatically.
Chiang Mai success story…
With support from the IKEA Foundation, Care for Children has helped the Thai government move almost 400 children out of orphanages and into local families.
Chiang Mai Home For Boys is a great example of how orphanages are making the transition to family-based care. In just three years they have placed more than half of the children living there with local foster families. Chiang Mai Home For Boys is now an inspiration to orphanages across Thailand.
Expert training…
Care for Children is working with governments and orphanages in China and Thailand, helping them transition from institutional care for orphaned and abandoned children to family-based care. With support from the IKEA Foundation, Care for Children has trained 428 orphanage staff in family placement, helping them place children into local, loving foster families where they will be nurtured to reach their full potential.
Chengdu success story…
Care for Children is working with governments and orphanages in China and Thailand, helping them transition from institutional care for orphaned and abandoned children to family-based care. Thanks to Care for Children’s ongoing training and support, Chengdu Child Welfare Institution has now developed one of the best models of family-based care for orphaned and abandoned children in China.
With more and more children moved out of the orphanage and placed into local families, the institution has repurposed its facilities to start supporting children in the local community, including a kindergarten and special education classes. As well as improving the success of family placements, it is hoped that over time these facilities will result in less children being abandoned in the first place.
