A child protection crisis is unfolding across Cambodia, where over 320 vulnerable children and youths have been abruptly returned to the outside world without support services after 32 residential care facilities (RCFs or orphanages) run by a US faith-based organisation have suddenly closed. This number looks certain to grow as another 34 RCFs are threatened with closure. These individuals are facing alarming risks like abuse, exploitation and neglect.
The RCF crisis, which This Life was invited by DOSVY to help with addressing, involves the abrupt closure of 32 RCFs across 14 provinces, leading to over 320 vulnerable children and youths being hastily returned to families without adequate support. This has exposed these individuals to severe risks such as abuse, exploitation, and neglect. The crisis is compounded by the lack of a formal reunification process and the absence of aftercare by the local and national authorities.
This Life is addressing the RCF crisis through a comprehensive approach that focuses on emergency aid, systematic reform of the residential care sector, and capacity building at both local and national levels. This Life provides immediate support to children and families affected by the sudden closures of RCFs. This includes tracing children who have been returned to the outside without support, assessing their needs, and providing necessary aid such as food, healthcare, and educational support.
The overarching goal is to transform the failing residential care system into government-monitored, community-based family care alternatives, thereby increasing family preservation and reunification, improving safety and development outcomes for children, and reducing family separations.
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