Last week many of us celebrated Thanksgiving, and remembered all that were are thankful for in our lives. This year, Care for Children are saying thanks to you guys.
Without you we would not have trained over 500 people this year in family placemenet, or been able to support 800 children as they move into their new homes for the first time.
Last month, Care for Children visited families in Southern China who have taken orphans into their homes. We came across one village that surpassed all expectations. It was hugely encouraging to see that a large part of Daxing’s community had opened their homes to orphaned and abandoned children.
One of our staff members remarked that, "on one particular street it seemed as if every household had introduced a child from the state run orphanage into their family".
It was great to hear that the once sleepy town has been transformed by these children. It’s amazing that they have enhanced village life. Even villagers who were not foster parents spoke of the change.
An elderly woman in the village gave-up her house to be used as a special needs resource centre, built specifically to aid many of these children.
The centre ensures that the once orphaned children, many with special needs are able to continue living with their families in Daxing, rather than relocate back to the regional state-run orphanage.
Our team continues to work hard to ensure communities like this all over China are rising up to the challenge of caring for orphaned and abandoned children in their local area.
This month, GlobalGiving has challenged Care for Children to raise $3,000 from at least 30 donors to qualify for their $3,000 bonus award.
Help Care for Children kick-start its Christmas Campaign.
Together we can see more children moved into families. Together we can see more communities transformed.
Join us.
Until now there has been little empirical research in China as to the extent and impact of long-term foster care as an alternative to institutional (or orphanage) care. All that is about to change...
Last month Care for Children, along with our government partner the China Social Work Association (a subsidiary of China's Ministry of Civil Affairs), gathered in China’s Ningxia province to officially launch a joint research study on family placement in China. It was great to be able to gather together the movers and shakers of family placement care, including members of China’s national government and representatives from state-run institutions with long-running family placement programmes.
The study will focus on the impact of foster care on children and young people’s health and development, the experiences of foster parents and their communities, and the extent to which foster care has become established in China. The report will be written by Care for Children’s social work experts, independent specialist academics and governments officials. It is set to launch at the end of 2016.
With your support to Care for Children on Global Giving, long term foster care in China has been increasing in leaps and bounds since we began work in 1998. And so, from everyone at Care for Children, we sincerely thank you. Your gifts have given hope and new beginnings to so many children who have been moved from institutional care into local, loving foster families.
We'd love to hear from you on our website or email info@careforchildren.com
Links:
Meet Lu Lu.*
Lu Lu was diagnosed with congenital heart disease, and was placed into a foster family when he was 4 years old. At first, he was very withdrawn. He had no interest in playing with toys and would rarely speak. However, after living with his family for over three years, Lu Lu's behaviour has transformed.
As a result of Care for Children’s ongoing training in how to develop a successful family placement programme for the staff at the orphanage where Lu Lu used to live, the staff have been able to provide resources and training for Lu Lu's foster family. His foster mother has been guided through this initial period while Lu Lu adapts to life in a family. She has dedicated much time and effort to understanding Lu Lu and discerning his personality. Because of the genuine love and patience of his foster mother, Lu Lu has ceased his harmful behavior and is incredibly attached to his foster mother.
Lu Lu has realized confidence and security within his foster family. He knows he has their support. When he plays with other children and has disagreements, he is able to come home and find comfort from his foster mother. She tells him: “Don’t worry, Mum will back you up.” This fills Lu Lu with joy.
THANK YOU to all our supporters. Without you, stories like these would not be possible.
Please consider giving to us today, on Global Giving Bonus Day and help Care for Children win 50% in matching funds! Thank you for helping us give more children like Lu Lu the chance to thrive in a family.
*All names in Care for Children reports have been changed to protect the identities of the children and their families.
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Meet Aran and Jaidee. Supported by Care for Children, these two boys have been with their foster parents, Mr. and Mrs. Boonliang, since April 2013. Mr. Boonliang, a school bus driver at a local school, first got to know the boys on his bus route, and from there he began the process of becoming their foster parent.
Although it has only been a year, the boys have settled well into their new home. Their new foster Mom and Dad say Aran and Jaidee are incredibly kind and respectful. They help out with the house chores when they can, and enjoy spending time together watching cartoons or listening to music.
The boys have also been a great help to the community. Recently, Aran saw a small fire burning in a neighbour’s house so he ran home to ask his foster mom to call the police. She told the Care for Children team and our Thai partners how proud she was. And Mr. Boonliang told our team:
“Living with us, we can help ensure these boys receive the love and care they deserve.”
Thank you for helping boys like Aran and Jaidee grow up loved in a family.
What an incredible start to 2014 for Care for Children!
Our team has just returned from a successful trip to Hanoi, Vietnam, led by our Royal Patron, His Royal Highness Prince Michael of Kent, to explore opportunities of expanding our work into Vietnam.
Care for Children went to host a Family Placement Conference in Vietnam, sharing best practice on how to make the transition from institutional care to family-based care. There are around 22,000 children growing up in institutions in Vietnam, and the government has asked for Care for Children's help in giving them the opportunity to grow up in a family of their own.
The conference was co-hosted by Care for Children and Vietnam's Ministry of Labour, Invalids & Social Affairs (MOLISA). Over 200 delegates attended from across Vietnam, including Orphanage Directors, social workers and government leaders. The Care for Children team also had the opportunity to partner with the British Child Exploitation & Online Protection Centre (CEOP) while in Hanoi.
All the hard work paid off, and the conference was a great success. Furthermore, the Vietnamese government has asked Care for Children to start a pilot family placement project in Vietnam in partnership with MOLISA and UNICEF in 2015. The team is very excited about this new partnership and the opportunity to help thousands of children in Vietnam flourish as they grow up in families of their own.
With your generous support we are going to be able to see more orphans from across Asia placed into good, local families who can love and nurture them to reach their full potential as we have the opportunity to work with the government in Vietnam.
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