GHR Foundation's Children in Families initiative is working in Cambodia to support child protection interventions that strengthen families, respond to children without family care and drive further evidence of innovative, pro-family approaches. This geographic focus began less than one year ago, and the dedication demonstrated by our partners is already showing progress.
 
One of these partners is First Step Cambodia (FSC), an organization focusing on the male victims and survivors of sexual abuse and their families and communities. FSC provides direct services to children and families, expands organizational training on child abuse and conducts research on Sexually Harmful Behavior (SHB), as well as related gaps in social work practice. In the first few months of partnership with GHR, First Step Cambodia began collaborating with other GHR partners, including M’lup Tapang, M’lop Russey and Angkor Hospital for Children, to support services for children affected by sexual abuse and SHB. This relationship has already resulted in referrals, the co-management of complex cases, collective effort to support cases and the sharing of resources and expertise. Interventions provided by FSC have brought positive changes to clients’ lives. Eight cases were closed during the first half of 2016, and significant improvements were made in helping children cope with fear, communication, difficulty at school and isolation. FHC has witnessed families who fully support their children instead of blaming them, and communities which welcome victims back instead of discriminating against them.
 
Another partner demonstrating early impact is Bethany Christian Services, which is working in Cambodia to increase the number of children placed from orphanages into long term foster, foster-adopt and kinship care families. They are doing so by building a platform of services, including networks of churches and non-governmental organizations that provide alternative care services to children. During the first half of 2016, Bethany placed 20 children in kinship care. Eight children were placed in new long term foster homes, and 20 families have undergone training and preparation to be foster families. In addition to providing direct services to families, Bethany is training four other organizations to care for vulnerable children and orphans within families. They plan to expand this training program to include ten partner organizations.
 
The inspiring progress of grantees like First Step Cambodia and Bethany Christian Services is indicative of the change that is possible in Cambodia. Each child they serve brings us closer to a world where all children—especially those at risk of losing or without parental care—are living in a stable, positive, long-term family or family-like environment. To learn more about GHR’s work in Cambodia, contact us.

GHR Foundation's Children in Families funding supports child protection organizations that strengthen families, respond to children without family care and drive further evidence of innovative, pro-family approaches. One such organization is M’lup Russey in Cambodia, which promotes best practice in alternative care and provides services to young people so they can develop as healthy individuals.

GHR's partnership with M’lup Russey began six months ago, and they are already returning impressive results. They have raised awareness of the new minimum standards of residential care for children among caregivers and government staff and built strong working relationships with caregivers who can now rely on them for further assistance.
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In the past six months, M’Lup Russey provided training on minimum standard of residential care of children to four Department of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation coordinators and 33 residential care coordinators, generating interest in the community. Program directors have requested additional capacity building support in order to ensure the implementation of minimum standards

One family to which a child was reunified has benefited from the cooperation and facilitation provided by M’lup Russey and the authorities managing the reunification—the family was able to move into a new house and find jobs as vegetable sellers, and the child’s case was closed in March.

M’lup Russey has recognized that youth are key to supporting communities and vulnerable children, and are identifying activities to add to their programs that will build youth capacity by teaching skills, creating job opportunities and helping them develop into mature leaders.

The inspiring work of grantees like M’lup Russey brings us closer to a world where all children—especially those at risk of losing or without parental care—are living in a stable, positive, long-term family or family-like environment. To learn more about GHR’s investment in children and families, contact us.