The Foundation for Child Development: Review of 30 years of Action

February 2011

The Foundation for Child Development (FCD) is the local Thai partner of CCI, managing the Santikham Centre in the suburbs of Bangkok. Le Santikham Centre offers welcome, accompanying, reference and listening services to young workers and their relatives, many of whom are without official papers.

Founded in 1982, the FCD is a Thai Non-Government Organisation who's mission is to promote children at all levels -physical, intellectual, social and spiritual. Whether it is working directly with the youths or in liaison with the international community, the FCD looks for – and puts in place – sustainable solutions to the difficulties lived by the youths. The FCD was one of the first Thai organisations to raise the problem of under-age workers, and to take concrete action through the “Child Labour Project”, to defend the rights of child workers, to respond to their basic needs and to give them more opportunities to develop fully.

Since its inception, the FCD has worked in close collaboration with other OBNL, Government Organisations, Village Communities, Local Associations, Community Leaders and – most importantly – the children themselves, so that everyone is involved in the decision making. The FCD works to develop local resources by putting the emphasis on partnership and empowerment of people and groups to achieve structured and sustainable change.

More specifically, with regards to the issue of child labour, the FCD:

• carries out research and analysis to detect new trends and problems that arise
• supplies assistance in case of emergency. Help can be short term such as removing children from unsafe work environments and lodging them temporarily, as well as long term assistance, looking to help children's social adaptation and integration into families.
• establishes education and training programmes adapted to child workers.
• contributes to the personal development and well being of children, through dance or play.
• leads outreach and education activities to the general public to stem the stigma and inform people and policy makers of the rights of children, and notably of child workers.
  

Among the successes, the FCD has:

• helped around 7000 children over the last 6 years
• produced more than 40 studies and research reports on the problems faced by Thai children and Child Labourers
• Led successful business advocacy and lobbying for the revision of Thai laws on Child Labour.
• Was named winner of the “Best playground Design” in 1999 by the International Association for Child's Right to Play.
• Awarded a prize in 2002 for action in the media, awarded by the Thai National Youth Bureau (for their radio program and education cartoons on child labour).
  

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