Asia Family Placement Conference, Nov. 15-17, Chiang Mai

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On November 15-17, 2011, Asia Family Placement Conference is being held by Care for Children in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The conference focuses on sharing international best practices in local family placement for orphans in Asia, as a positive alternative to institutional care.

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About 200 people are expected to attend the conference and any of the 18 workshops. During the workshops, policy makers, experts and practicing professionals from 7 Asian countries will investigate and discuss child welfare and relevant policies and practices. Presentations addressing child social welfare will also be given by a group of esteemed keynote speakers. The Guest of Honour will be His Royal Highness Prince Michael of Kent.

The conference is considered a start of something special, to ensure that orphaned and abandoned children across Asia have the opportunity to be placed into loving, local families. Much of the success of the conference depends on networking and sharing ideas; a benchmark of success is raising yet more questions addressing essential issues.

It is the second such conference to be held in Thailand. The first was held in Bangkok in March 2008, with support from the British and Thai Royal families and the local authorities. It resulted in significant progress among the local social welfare professional network.

Since 2009, Care for Children has been in discussions with Thailand's Ministry of Social Development and Human Security and both government and institutional representatives have attended training workshops held in Beijing. The objective is that successful, existing models can be adapted for Thailand to facilitate the transition of orphaned children into loving homes.

About Care for Children

Care for Children facilitates the transition of orphaned children away from institutions and to becoming part of loving long-term foster families. This remarkable project, since 1998, has focused on changing the quality of life for children. Care for Children is registered in China, Hong Kong, UK and the USA and has been working in partnership with the Chinese authorities since 1998.

Care for Children is committed to nurturing long-term relationships in Asia to develop sustainable family placement projects. The organization's conviction is that there are long-term benefits to placing children into loving families of their own. Today, Care for Children is active in over 240 orphanages in China, Korea, and Mongolia.

For more information, please visit: www.careforchildren.com

Or contact:

Kay Zhang

PR & Communications Manager

Care for Children

[email protected]