3 million Thai kids living with caregivers

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3 million Thai kids living with caregivers
Thiranat Sucharikul
The Nation



Children not with parents slow in language skill: Unicef study

BANGKOK: -- MORE THAN 3 million Thai children do not live with their parents - and the national ratio of 21 per cent of children who live with caregivers, such as their grandparents, has alarmed experts from overseas.

"This is a remarkably high proportion compared with other countries and should be a major cause of concern," said Andrew Claypole, social policy chief for Unicef Thailand, which believes it could have key ramifications for children's learning.

"People in Thailand think it is normal for grandparents or others to take care of babies, infants and children whose parents have migrated. It is not. The scale of this internal migration phenomenon is massive."

Claypole was speaking at the launch of first-phase results from an ongoing study about the impact of internal migration on early childhood development. The results show that children who do not live with their parents are more susceptible to slower development, particularly in language skills.

In the Northeast, about one third of children have been under the care of others - the majority living with their grandparents.

"With children suspected of slower development, their language development rate appeared to be the worst - for 15 per cent," Associate Prof Sutham Nantamongkolchai, a researcher at Mahidol University's Institute for Population and Social Research (IPSR), said yesterday.

The institute has conducted the study with support from Unicef.

"The Impact of Internal Migration on Early Childhood Well-being and Development" study has covered 1,080 children up to three years, to gauge long-term impacts of internal migration on toddlers and those who care for them.

It focuses on Phitsanulok and Khon Kaen provinces, which are said to be top areas for internal migration, with expected final results in 2016. It is also studying impacts on caregivers, as they are seen as being at risk of mental problems.

Young children aged up to three, who do not live with both their parents, are prone to slower development - a rate of about 25 per cent, when compared to children who live with both or one parent, who have less slow development - 16 per cent and 18 per cent respectively.

"In cases where children do not live with both their parents, the educational background of the caretakers are usually of primary school education for 83 per cent," IPSR research team leader, Assoc Prof Aree Jampaklay said.

"The psychological health of caretakers is also a very important aspect, because the health of these people is mirrored back in the psychological health and overall emotional well-being of the child," Aree said.

"The impact of internal migration on children 'left behind' has been relatively under-researched. It has generally been assumed that overall benefits of internal migration to the well-being of children 'left behind' outweigh any potential downsides," Claypole said.

"The process of socialisation should also be focused with child development because parents play a vital role," said Mathuros Cheechag, director of the Bureau of Family Institution Promotion, at the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security.

"Focusing on violence would also be interesting to see how it affects children's growth," she said. "This shows that the family unit is not that strong."

Suriyadeo Tripati, director of the National Institute for Child and Family Development (NICFD), also asked for more focus on process and parenting styles. He claimed that parental roles and individual development are important as they contribute to IQ building.

-- The Nation 2014-06-24

[daveAustin]

UNICEF does not understan Thailand.

[EricBerg]

..."the national ratio of 21 per cent of children who live with caregivers, such as their grandparents, has alarmed experts from overseas."

Those "experts from overseas" sometimes seem to have a small problem with understanding that they cannot project their values and opinions upon another culture.

[thesetat2013]

UNICEF does not understan Thailand.

I think you are so wrong! It is common practise in Thailand for a couple or single mother to dump their children on their parents and leave to another city to work. This does not make it right simply because it is done on large scale here.

Leavin a child behind to an elder prevents a child from learning anything except what was learned 50 years ago. It may well be the reason Thais are not creative or imaginative.

It does however leave the child with someone who is already lacking in developmental skills. Although I am not sure about the communicative skills being affected. I do think that emotional growth can be dererred. How can a baby understand the absence of a mother they bonded with at birth or a family they only see on weekends?

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[NongKhaiKid]

UNICEF does not understan Thailand.

I think you are so wrong! It is common practise in Thailand for a couple or single mother to dump their children on their parents and leave to another city to work. This does not make it right simply because it is done on large scale here.

Leavin a child behind to an elder prevents a child from learning anything except what was learned 50 years ago. It may well be the reason Thais are not creative or imaginative.

It does however leave the child with someone who is already lacking in developmental skills. Although I am not sure about the communicative skills being affected. I do think that emotional growth can be dererred. How can a baby understand the absence of a mother they bonded with at birth or a family they only see on weekends?

Sent from my GT-S5310 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

' Dump ' being the operative word.

[Bluetongue]

Well maybe the first two replies are right, but my own observation at the coalface so to speak leads me to say that kids with grandparents, aunties etc are on a different flight path, cultural difference, western values or opinions notwithstanding.

There is more to bringing up a kid than just family love. Example, a 7 year old boy who lives with his grandmother and still

wears nappies. Why, because she is too stupid and lazy to go through the steps of getting him to go before bed, or even havinga bedtime and for a few nights putting herself out to get him up to go in the middle of the night. Doesn't stop her

complaining about the cost of nappies though.

[timewilltell]

It is the culture here, for some, to pass the kids off to the grandparents to bring up while the parent works to provide what little they can in the way of financial support. That UNICEF comments that the practice harms the child developmentally is a pretty obvious outcome given that older Thais are generally much moor poorly educated than the atrocious modern day education. Not only that the grandparents will be stuck in the past, and unless the ways of 50 years ago are to stay, this leads to further developmental problems as Thailand is certainly not standing still developmentally (even though progress is slower than its neighbors).

For those who say it is no business of UNICEF to compare one culture with another is banal. UNICEF is concerned with children's development not the posturings of culture. The reasons for the culture to be the way it is need to be examined too. Why do girls have children and then dump them on their parents? Is it they are lazy and have no responsibility? Is it that they can't cope and there is a cultural propensity for Thai males to have no responsibility! Is it that they are so poor they have no other option? Is it that are so ill educated that they do not have any sense of regard to the future when they copulate?

There is a pathetic argument that it is a Thai culture, to almost any criticism of anything Thai. I am not sure if this is just ignorance or a face saving device for utter stupidity and corruption. Thais do have a culture and it should be protected where it is truly cultural. If you are going to use it as an excuse for bad education systems, corrupt police and a general disregard for the rule of law, scamming and general criminality and a lack of morals, that is not acceptable and just demeans the culture.

Just because some practice has been prevalent for many years because problems gave not been tackled, does not make it 'Thai Culture'. And if you wish to use the argument that culture means that which has become commonplace in society, then Thailand needs to rid itself of the undesirable aspects of the 'culture' which have come about through poverty, corruption and bad education.

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[NongKhaiKid]

UNICEF does not understan Thailand.

The BBC is reporting this is exactly what Gen. Prayuth said as part of the response to the EU's announcement that mutual visits will be stopped.

I'm sure not understanding Thailand isn't restricted to the UN and EU and the ' Thainess ' excuse is wearing very thin.

[terryp]

part of the bar scene people dont even think about

[Andre0720]

..."the national ratio of 21 per cent of children who live with caregivers, such as their grandparents, has alarmed experts from overseas."

Those "experts from overseas" sometimes seem to have a small problem with understanding that they cannot project their values and opinions upon another culture.

As you point out, too many outsiders look down on the ways of life in Thailand.

But then, what is also rightly criticised in Thailand, lack of responsibility etc., must take its source from somewhere...

Perhaps from how the children are raised, and by whom....

[ikke]

Root cause need to be taken care of !

The mean reason is is very simple, there are no factories, there is not enough work for the amount of young people living over there.

They mention Khon Kaen, good example, Khon Kaen has a very good university, however, people who graduate need to migrate internal to find job.

Until there was still a difference in salary between the provinces, there would still have been investors to invest in the North east, but right now, there is no reason to do so.

The government (when there will be one) have to grant tax benefit to companies who invest in employment there where it is most necessary , that could solve a big part of this problem.

[JeremyBowskill]

Well if it didn't work for the kids parents being brought up by the grandparents, its unlikely to be better on the kid they dump there. Obviously the reason they are dumping the kid on the grandparents is because they are skint and off to work somewhere else in some capacity. Einstein had something to say about repeating the same actions and expecting different results, didn't he...........

[JoeLing]

..."the national ratio of 21 per cent of children who live with caregivers, such as their grandparents, has alarmed experts from overseas."

Those "experts from overseas" sometimes seem to have a small problem with understanding that they cannot project their values and opinions upon another culture.

Those "TV readers from overseas" sometimes seem to have a small problem reading and understanding the context of news articles.

In your eyes, does:

Associate Prof. Sutham Nantamongkolchai, a researcher at Mahidol University's Institute for Population and Social Research (IPSR) ......

or Associate Prof. Aree Jampaklay sound foreign to you???

BTW, read again. it was NOT the UNICEF who conducted the research.

Mahidol University conducted the research SUPPORTED by the UNICEF

Sooo, your statement is, well, rubbish .

Edited June 24, 2014 by JoeLing

[desmondspencer]

Why bother having kids if like pets they can be 'looked after' by someone besides the parents. Pray tell, how many kids under their 'relatives' care make it to universities? i could be short-sighted but have known many who turn out like their parents or worst. Child worship is to blame.

Edited June 24, 2014 by desmondspencer

[cooked]

Well I am a grandparent looking after a little girl, obviously I take education more seriously than most people in the village. What happened: her parents wanted her to go to a good school but couldn't really afford it. After splitting up (as parents often do) one went to work in Srirachah (honestly I might add) and the other has started a business in Lampang. Between them they pay the ฿15 000.- a year school fees, and will soon be sending ฿1000.- a month each into a special bank account that will ensure her further schooling. We of course, pay the transport fees, 100Km drive every day.

There are many children living with grandparents in the village, the fathers and mothers that are still here can't afford anything other than the village school. Unless they 'have a Farang'.

On the whole I would prefer kids to grow up out here than in Bangkok or Pattaya, but it is true that pretty badly educated grandparents in general won't be much help in stimulating kids' imaginations. The son in law is very skilled at everything from farming to building and has a good work ethic but he has passed none of these things on to his kids who are incapable of learning anything, not that they are stupid. So the argument grandparents/parents is a complex one, I wouldn't pull any conclusions at all.

[Loles]

Yes guys, these are are pretty true. BUT have you ever heard about these nationwide poor people's economical compulsion?

The round:

They can't get normal (good money) salary at home nationwide (mostly Isaan).

They come to Bkk to work, but their salary here is not enough also for take care of children in Bkk, cause both of them have to work. Mostly they are employed in factories in 2 or 3 shifts.

The one and only solution if their parents take care of their kids and they send monthly 2-3000 B which is enough for basic expenses.

So this won't be changed during the next 10 years.

[chooka]

The grandparents are to old to work and there is no pension scheme to support them. Most worked on the family farm all their lives and there was never a superannuation plan. Thai are generally family orientated so the children go off to make money to help support their elderly parents and in return the grandparents take care of the grandchildren. Everyone scratching everyones back. Definitely not ideal but if there is no work in the regions what can they do.

Governments should try and encourage big businesses/manufacturing to set up in these regional areas to provide jobs that way more families would probably stay together. Invest in the countries future.

Edited June 24, 2014 by chooka

[MrBrad]

This situation does not even need to apply only to parents who work far away from home. I've seen kids raised by totally unrelated families even though the parents live just a few kilometers away. Also, what about the kids who are turned over to the temples, either as novices or helpers (dek wat)? There are oodles of kids being raised away from their birth parents.

[prakhonchai nick]

Many Thai children are just a commodity to their parents. They procreate, though they never have any intention of raising them. leaving ot to the grand-parents. The hope is that some 15/16 years down the line the kids will start work (some in the sex industry) and send enough money back to the parents so that they can retire. And where there is a girl, they will hopefully look forward to a nice dowry!

I believe there is a tax allowance for children - perhaps this should only be given to the parent when they are raising them themselves - but then again, how many Thais pay tax anyway?

[Loles]

Well I am a grandparent looking after a little girl, obviously I take education more seriously than most people in the village. What happened: her parents wanted her to go to a good school but couldn't really afford it. After splitting up (as parents often do) one went to work in Srirachah (honestly I might add) and the other has started a business in Lampang. Between them they pay the ฿15 000.- a year school fees, and will soon be sending ฿1000.- a month each into a special bank account that will ensure her further schooling. We of course, pay the transport fees, 100Km drive every day.

There are many children living with grandparents in the village, the fathers and mothers that are still here can't afford anything other than the village school. Unless they 'have a Farang'.

On the whole I would prefer kids to grow up out here than in Bangkok or Pattaya, but it is true that pretty badly educated grandparents in general won't be much help in stimulating kids' imaginations. The son in law is very skilled at everything from farming to building and has a good work ethic but he has passed none of these things on to his kids who are incapable of learning anything, not that they are stupid. So the argument grandparents/parents is a complex one, I wouldn't pull any conclusions at all.

Of course I believe your words well, but your story is not a typical story here, and the OP doesn't talk about your situation, but talks about poor and silly farmer families, just take a look to the picture. I guess they don't use computer and of course don't speak English ...

[willem1946]

Some kids will grow up and learn very normal with theis grandparents and some will not, the same will happen when they grow up with their parents.

There will always be good and not so good parents and als grandparent.

[GreasyFingers]

"It is the culture here, for some, to pass the kids off to the grandparents to bring up while the parent works to provide what little they can in the way of financial support." timewilltell

What solution do the UNICEF freeloaders provide for the reality of being poor. Would they rather have them starve or stay on the farm or in the village with no chance of improvement in the future.

[jaltsc]

..."the national ratio of 21 per cent of children who live with caregivers, such as their grandparents, has alarmed experts from overseas."

Those "experts from overseas" sometimes seem to have a small problem with understanding that they cannot project their values and opinions upon another culture.

Agreed.. However, when a nation is billing itself as the "HUB" of all types of modern western technology, it needs to change many of its traditional social values and traditions in order for other nations to take it seriously. Right now, in many aspects, Thailand is exhibiting its lack of ability to be able to raise a well educated (both academically and socially) population necessary for a competent technological workforce.

No nation can have it both ways.

[maybefitz]

In our tambon, we have one village that is 20k away in the hills, almost an hours journey on hill tracks. There's about a dozen kids from this village that have to live with grandparents, relatives nearer the school during term time. So there's another reason why they don't live with their parents. From what I've seen, kids learn much more from their peers than any parental guidance, One girl, for example, is a constant visitor to our immediate neighbour's daughter who is quite bright and computer literate. They spend much time together on the internet - something I'm sure would not be available if she had to live with her parents up in the hills (no internet access for a start). My own wife, before I met her had 2 boys to bring up with her husband disappeared, totally incompatible with her work as a nurse (shift patterns etc), in the city. The 2 boys were brought up by their grandmother, who did an excellent job. Both boys hold degrees now, with the youngest tackling an M.Sc. So some of these generalisations just don't hold up against the 'Western model' - it works in Thailand.

[BirdsandBooze]

UNICEF does not understan Thailand.

I think you are so wrong! It is common practise in Thailand for a couple or single mother to dump their children on their parents and leave to another city to work. This does not make it right simply because it is done on large scale here.

Leavin a child behind to an elder prevents a child from learning anything except what was learned 50 years ago. It may well be the reason Thais are not creative or imaginative.

It does however leave the child with someone who is already lacking in developmental skills. Although I am not sure about the communicative skills being affected. I do think that emotional growth can be dererred. How can a baby understand the absence of a mother they bonded with at birth or a family they only see on weekends?

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He was being sarcastic

[Chao Lao Beach]

Iwonder if the "experts" noticed that the % of farthers not supporting their abandoned children would be way higher than 21% ?

[willem1946]

Is nt it better to let the grandparents take care of the kids then not take care of the grandparent, in my former country (Europe) old people have to sit long time in their own shit now because nobody take good care of old people.

[Bangel72]

I'm just wondering if the average nanny is better than the grandparents from this respect.

I personally learned loads from the time spent with my grandparents, it might not have been the academic stuff I got from my father only because his father had put him through college but it was solid practical skills, common sense, respect, manners etc, oh and they also had parenting experience and skills.

I'm an old dad and could easily be a young grand parent, perhaps I should be looking for someone younger with a better education to dump my son on, I am joking here as this was not the intent I believe of the article which I interpret to be more about family planning.

This family planning aspect of the article is important, if it is regarded as the norm for grandparents to look after kids it can lesson the consideration of having kids as the parents are shielded and perhaps oblivious to all the things that normally go with having children.

The better education system these days is also debatable, how many fresh graduates would you really allow to raise a child on their own?

Edited June 24, 2014 by Bangel72

[BirdsandBooze]

Why have children if you're not going to care for them yourself? Human parenthood is about the enjoyment of raising your own offspring. These absent parents are no more than sperm and egg donors.

[klauskunkel]

Root cause need to be taken care of !

The mean reason is is very simple, there are no factories, there is not enough work for the amount of young people living over there.

They mention Khon Kaen, good example, Khon Kaen has a very good university, however, people who graduate need to migrate internal to find job.

Until there was still a difference in salary between the provinces, there would still have been investors to invest in the North east, but right now, there is no reason to do so.

The government (when there will be one) have to grant tax benefit to companies who invest in employment there where it is most necessary , that could solve a big part of this problem.

I think the root cause is having children when parents aren't yet financially self-sufficient.