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.