In January 2025, over the course of six days, Care for Children was invited to the Philippines to participate in a landmark week of activities aimed at increasing the number of orphans and vulnerable children being placed into loving families as an alternative to institutional care. Organised in collaboration with Saddleback Church and Generations Home, the week-long initiative included screenings of the documentary Children of Shanghai, high-level meetings with government officials and NGOs, and engagement with the broader child welfare sector.
There are approximately 1.8 million orphans in the country, with millions more children vulnerable to abandonment, trafficking, and other forms of exploitation. The majority of these children are currently living in orphanages, highlighting the pressing need to begin our work in the Philippines.
The Care for Children team was invited to present four screenings of Children of Shanghai, which showcases Care for Children's pioneering work in moving children from institutions to family-based care in China, in the capital Manila. Over 400 child welfare leaders, including social workers, NGOs, and representatives from national church networks, attended the screenings.
Following each screening, the team led several question-and-answer sessions, where they emphasised the transformative impact of family-based care and shared insights from Care for Children's global experience.
The week also featured high-profile meetings with key stakeholders, including Assistant Secretary Rowena M. Macalintal of the National Authority of Child Care (NACC) and His Majesty's Ambassador Laure Beaufils in Manila. These discussions focused on learning about the Philippines' child welfare system and exploring ways to transition it towards family-based care. Both meetings concluded with encouraging commitments to collaborate towards this vision. We're excited for the chance to work with the Philippine government towards our shared goal of seeing children placed into families.
Care for Children also introduced its innovative digital training tool, My Family, which is designed to provide comprehensive and accessible training to support the transition to family-based care systems. This upcoming resource was warmly received as a practical solution to empower child welfare practitioners and streamline reform efforts. This was key, as our work in the Philippines would be carried out through My Family, allowing us to move children out of orphanages and into local, loving families at an increased rate.
The week served as a fantastic introduction to potential collective action among government agencies, NGOs, and churches to champion family-based care. Chrina Cuna Henson, Executive Director of Generations Home, and her team, led the week-long programme, and provided valuable insights on the scale of the challenge in the Philippines. Representatives from Saddleback Church in the US, including Max McGhee, Orphan Care Initiative Manager, and Jonathan Caipang, Mission Pastor for Saddleback Church in the Philippines, also played key roles in coordinating and supporting the events.
Care for Children's involvement has significantly elevated awareness of family-based care in the Philippines, marking a critical step forward in the country's child welfare journey. As Robert Glover, Care for Children's Founder and Executive Director, noted, "Ensuring that every disadvantaged child has the opportunity to grow up in a loving family is not just a goal - it's a necessity. We are honoured to support the Philippines in this."
We would like to extend our thanks to everyone involved in making this trip such a resounding success. Our partners around the world have and continue to play a crucial role in helping us extend our reach, and furthering our goal of seeing children placed in families.
