Help Keep Families Together

Step Ahead's Collaborative Approach to Family-Based Care in Thailand

This report details Step Ahead's collaborative approach to transitioning children from institutional care to family-based solutions in Thailand, focusing on a pilot project with Baan Khantong orphanage. Step Ahead believes that collaboration is critical to achieving sustainable social change.

Project Overview

This pilot project partners Step Ahead, Care for Children, Holt-Sahathai, and the Thai Department of Children and Youth. The overarching goal is to reduce the number of children in institutional care and strengthen child protection mechanisms preventing future placements. The project focuses on transitioning children from Baan Khantong orphanage, which houses 137 children aged one month to six years (with an average age of approximately three years).

Coaching and Case Management

Step Ahead provided coaching to Baan Khantong staff in case management, resulting in significant improvements: 95% of the children in the target group had Individual Development Plans (IDPs) and permanency plans outlining reunification with families, adoption, or temporary family-based care.

Community Engagement

Recognizing the importance of community awareness for effective gatekeeping, four one-day workshops engaged 397 local administrative officers (representing approximately 18% of the 224 local administrative organizations in Khon Kaen). The workshops aimed to:

• Increase understanding of the Child Protection Act 2003.
• Strengthen networks among child welfare stakeholders.
• Encourage community participation in assessing, monitoring, and reporting violence against children.

Feedback indicates a significant shift in awareness, highlighting the detrimental impact of institutionalizing children and emphasizing the importance of family-based care.

Results and Impact

The collaborative effort has demonstrably improved the lives of children in Baan Khantong and fostered a stronger child protection network within the Khon Kaen community. The success of this project demonstrates the power of collaborative partnerships in achieving sustainable change in child welfare.

Next Steps

Future efforts will focus on:

• Expanding the coaching program to include more orphanages.
• Conducting further community engagement workshops in other regions.
• Monitoring the long-term outcomes of the children transitioning to family-based care.
• Developing a replicable model for this collaborative approach that can be implemented in other areas.

Our Keeping Families Together (KFT) supports families that live below the poverty line in Thailand’s under-resourced communities. One such family, Fon and her husband Ball, have three daughters and joined the KFT program last year.

Fon's husband works as a crab fisherman while Fon herself is a homemaker, caring for their young children. Prior to joining the program, her husband's monthly income was around USD 250 to provide for 5 persons. With our support in providing better fishing materials and a new net to replace the old torn one, his income has increased to USD 375 per month.

Since joining our KFT program, they have received assistance with school uniforms and educational supplies, especially as their youngest child is starting nursery.

Fon shared that their lives have changed significantly the past year. She has gained valuable knowledge from the KFT training, improving her parenting skills and communication with her children. This has strengthened family bonds and reduced conflicts. With guidance, she has learned financial management skills, such as tracking income and expenses, leading to savings and even the purchase of a second-hand motorbike. Financial literacy leads to increased income!

The family now spends more quality time together, exploring new places and enjoying experiences they never thought possible before joining the program. Fon is grateful for the support provided by the KFT program and its sponsors, like GlobalGiving, acknowledging the positive impact it has had on their lives. She hopes that more families can benefit from such holistic assistance, fostering growth and blessings for all involved.