The Family Care First (FCF) project is a network of organizations financially supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Save the Children. On February 28, 2023, the 21st Family Care First Learning Summit was organized and held at the Himawari Hotel in Phnom Penh. There were 96 participants (40 women), including representatives of the Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Information, Ministry of Labour, Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sport, the Department of Social Affairs, the WCCC, NGO Partners, development partners, and researcher.
In the remark of Ms. Alyssa Moy, Education Officer, USAID Cambodia, she would like to thanks FCF network partners for all their hard work and commitment toward the implementation of the care reform in Cambodia. More children have received case management support, more children have been taken out of RCIs and placed either with their families or in kinship or foster care, more RCIs are seriously considering transition or closure, and more care leavers have had a chance to meet and support each other. She emphasized that USAID played an important role committed and supported Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehibition and FCF partners with the finalization of two studies, the Lessons Learned on Residential Care Institution Closure and the Kinship Care and Foster Care study. There are two findings in the study that is particularly relevant for this Summit. Together we have entered our eighth year of collaboration and she believe that together we have made substantial progress in making care reform a reality. USAID support with you have all provided to the development of the child protection workplans at the national and sub-national level. These are important documents that ensure unity in vision. Take this opportunity USAID pleased announced 3 millions USD grands for 21-months extension of family care first that is good work to make Cambodia a better place for the children that are at risk of losing or do not have the loving and nurturing are of their families.