We support children with disabilities to ensure that their rights are protected, and provide support so they can remain with their families and have equal access to all education, health, and social services.
For many families living in poverty having a child with disabilities puts a huge strain on their ability to put food on the table or care for their child. Often these children will be left alone for long periods of time while their parents are at work, leaving them feeling cut off from and invisible in their community, without the opportunity to make friends or get an education.
Although Thailand has made strides in helping children with disabilities, there is still an extreme lack of social services leaving children with disabilities on the sidelines of society and often forgotten. More than a third of children who do not attend school are children with disabilities. Inadequate services directly restrict children with disabilities potential and further perpetuates the cycle of family poverty.
Research shows that the vast majority of children with disabilities live in hard to reach, rural areas where risks of family poverty, isolation, discrimination and lack of social services are extremely high. Many of these families cannot afford medical care and are unable to give up a steady income to become a full-time carer for their children. This often leads to them making the heartbreaking decision to give their child up to a residential care facility.
To ensure that no child is left behind, Safe Child Thailand works with partners who provide specialised educational services to children with disabilities who otherwise would never have the opportunity to attend school or grow up in their family home. Additionally, these educational services keep families together by providing a safe environment for their child to learn, for families to continue to work and for the children to get the attention they need.
Read Mint’s story
Mint
Mint is a 10-year-old girl who lives with quadriplegic cerebral palsy. She is currently supported by one of Safe Child Thailand’s partners operating in and…
At Safe Child Thailand, we strongly support the right of every child to go to school and to grow up in a loving family, and believe every family should be able to access services to support a nurturing and caring home. We have seen that through education and social support we can break the stigma of disabilities, provide children with disabilities opportunity and break the cycle of poverty.
With your support we are providing:
- Individualised learning curricula, and vocational training for children with disabilities to enable them to enter the workforce
- Help for families to officially register their children as disabled, and receive the appropriate ID Cards – allowing them access to local services and provision
- Work with foster parents to ensure children grow up in a safe and loving family setting.
- Provide life-changing physiotherapy for children with physical disabilities and classes to teach parents physiotherapy to ensure their children have a healthy life ahead of them.
- Offer child care for working parents with disabled children at specialised day care centres meaning children can receive tailored care and supervision.
Ensure the rights of children with disabilities are protected
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