The Birth of a New Foster Care Program in Cambodia

Our newest foster care program in Cambodia was begun in December 2023 in the province of Pailin. This province is located near the border of Thailand at the northern edge of the Cardamom mountains. Although Pailin is a beautiful region with natural forests and waterfalls, ancient temples, and a growing tourism economy, it also has a casino and a border crossing which can sometimes put children at risk for trafficking.

Very few charities are currently working in Pailin to improve the lives of the children, so we are grateful for the opportunity to step in and start a foster care program there.

We began our Pailin foster care program in December 2023 with two sibling groups – four children in one group and three in the other – and then added another sibling group of three a month later. We would like to introduce you to this newest threesome of beautiful siblings who escaped a difficult situation to live with a stable and loving foster family: Lizbeth, Lincoln, and Lily-Anne.

Big sister is ten-year-old Lizbeth, an active, outgoing and helpful girl. Lizbeth is currently attending school as a third-grader and is diligent about completing her homework as soon as she returns home each day.

Lizbeth is also a great help to her foster mother, helping to look after her little sister, assisting with dishes, laundry and shopping, and generally tidying up around the home. We were impressed to learn that in just a few short months, she has achieved a rank of 10th out of her class of 36 students!

Brother Lincoln is six years old and also has a good relationship with his foster family. Although he is slightly less outgoing than his big sister, he’s working to make friends at school where he attends first grade. Lincoln already has a nice set of friends in his foster family’s neighborhood, so we anticipate that he will find his school “besties” before long!

Like big sister Lizbeth, Lincoln has done very well in school and now ranks 9th in his class of 25 students.

Lincoln is a musical little fellow and was delighted to find that his foster family has a keyboard. This aspiring musician strums imaginary guitar on a piece of wood and can often be found banging away on a tin biscuit box drum set!

Little sister Lily-Anne is described as a charming girl who smiles and laughs easily. This sweet two-year-old is quite fond of her foster sister, the biological daughter of her foster parents. Apparently, the affectionate feeling is mutual, and “sis” brings her a little treat each day when she comes home from preschool.

A bit shy around visitors at first (which is totally appropriate), Lily-Anne warm ups with encouragement from her foster parents. She is sure to give a polite smile and “thank you” to anyone who offers her treat or small toy. We are all looking forward to watching this sweet girl grow and blossom in the coming weeks and months.

One only has to look at these three healthy and contented faces to understand the importance of foster care. No longer fending for themselves, Lizbeth, Lincoln and Lily-Anne now have devoted foster parents who are dedicated to helping their physical, mental and emotional health flourish.

The Newest Babies in Pailin Foster Care

Just this week, we were asked to take two new babies into our Pailin foster care program.

Baby Hettie was born in March and abandoned in the hospital, and Baby Kieran was born in January and found abandoned in a cassava field.

Both Hattie and Kieran are currently in orphanage care but would greatly benefit from the love of a foster family. Thankfully they are now safe and doing well.

If you are interested in supporting our Cambodia Foster Care program, donations in any amount or ongoing sponsorships can be made on our website. All donors will receive regular reports and photos to know exactly how their gift is impacting precious lives.

Together, we can ensure that every child who needs our care receives the love and security they deserve.

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