The beginning of a new year has started, and Damnok Toek has organized a meaningful and fruitful Workshop on the Continuum of Care for Children with Disabilities in Cambodia. Many guests and partners from local and international organizations, and the Cambodian government, joined the workshop at Cambodiana Hotel in Phnom Penh on Friday, 3rd March 2023 from 8am to 5pm.
The continuum of care for CWD goes from family preservation strategies (social protection, gatekeeping, respite care, inclusive education, etc.) to response to family separation of children (family reintegration, kinship care, foster care, transitional homes, etc.). It is very important to look into the continuum of care for CWD to make sure that children are primarily kept in a family environment and, when that is not possible, that they are being cared for in a fruitful and nurturing environment, in a place that guarantees these children’s safety and protection.
Ensuring the continuum of care for CWD is essential in countries like Cambodia where the provision of alternative care solutions for CWD is still lacking on many fronts. While it is widely understood that family-based care is the best environment for a child, Cambodia still counts with many Residential Care Institutions (RCI) and the continuum of care is fundamental to ensure a safe and effective transition of these children from RCI care to other forms of alternative care like transitional homes, foster care, kinship care, and ultimately family reintegration whenever possible.
The main objective of this workshop was then to understand how this continuum of care is working in Cambodia and what are the gaps in this continuum that stops children from moving from side to side within different services with the aim to reach family-based care as soon as possible. The workshop has also discussed what partners and the government can do to ensure that CWD are being care for and having access to the type of care they need on a timely manner.
The morning began with welcoming and introductory remarks by Damnok Toek and the Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation.
Following the welcome, there was a presentation and delineation of the objectives of the day by Damnok Toek and our partner, the World Childhood Foundation. The day consisted of several panel presentations and group discussions, making it a very participatory and engaging event.
The first panel presentation discussed existing services that help preventing the separation of children with disabilities from their families. It consisted of the following presentations:
- Social workforce and Social protection – Ministry of Social Affairs Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation (MoSVY) (Phnom Penh)
- Family strengthening and gatekeeping – Safe Haven (Siem Reap)
- Inclusive education – Epic Arts (Kampot)
- Respite care – Inclusive Cambodia (Phnom Penh)
The second panel presentation discussed existing services that respond to separation of children with disabilities from their families. It consisted of the following presentations:
- Family Reintegration – Friends International (Phnom Penh)
- Kinship care – Children in Families (Phnom Penh)
- Foster care – M’lop Tapang (Sihanoukville)
- Transitional homes – Damnok Toek (Prey Veng)
- Long-term residential institutions – Phnom Penh Thmey Orphanage Center (Phnom Penh)
Group discussions covered:
- Presentation of five case stories
- Case discussion
- Presentation and placement of each case within the Continuum of Care for Children with Disabilities
The final panel discussion was formed by UNICEF, Save the Children, and Friends International, and covered the following questions:
What are the gaps in the Continuum of Care for Children with Disabilities in Cambodia and what is the bottle neck that stops children from accessing needed services? How do we ensure that children with disabilities are loved, cared for, protected, and supported in family and in communities?
Finally, we had a presentation of reflections from the day by World Childhood Foundation Managing Director, Mrs. Brita Holmberg, and the Deputy Chief of MoSVY’s Child Protection Unit, Mr. Keo Sokme, on the topics covered during the workshop and their conclusions.
It was a very successful event that gave great insight to all stakeholders around the challenges and opportunities for the continuum of care for children with disabilities in Cambodia. Reflections on the event and the way forward will be soon shared amongst the network in Cambodia.
