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Phayathai Babies'Home
office of the Pubic Sector

A. Problem Analysis

 1. What was the problem before the implementation of the initiative?
Given that the social welfare homes have an increasing number of children daily it is necessary to reflect this problem to society to let it be known. Whoever knows of this problem we need to work together to prevent ion to take this problem of the increasing burden of care of the children to be known by the community. The situation in Thailand currently there many children who are abandoned after birth in the hospital, abused by the family, homeless living on the street, and even more severe are the children who are abandoned who have contacted HIV. When the children are brought together there are more and more of them. A follow up of the history causing abandonment, is related to illegal drug use, teenage sexual activity, sex without use of condoms, arising from dysfunctional families who work in industrial factor leaving little time to look after their children to give the attention needed, lack education themselves and do not send their children to school, low income, so the children are missing out on love and attention patience, therefore they lack the ability to wait or control themselves therefore there are pregnancies, abortion, abandonment. In Thailand there are 8 social welfare homes that receive and care for abandoned children. PhayaThai Home is the largest facility with 368 children. At the beginning the social welfare home only focused on looking after the children but now teams also go out into the community to give education to prevent the institutionalization of the children. Educate the teenagers in the community. The Department of Social Development and Welfare has sent out an policy that each home needs to have 2 responsibilities that is to look after the children and to educate the community. PhayaThai therefore visits in the community and gives a encouragement to the grandmothers who are looking after the children at home both in word and with a reward of a framed certificate affirming their “caring family” status, donated items of food supplies and toys, as well as a 2,000 baht per month for the first 6 months of infancy.

B. Strategic Approach

 2. What was the solution?
Care within the Social Welfare Home of PhayaThai. a. The care of children at the social welfare homes is standard includes sending the children to study at schools outside the homes. Our care includes volunteers from the community and from schools such as nurses, teachers, so that the children can have a good standard of care. The community is invited to visit to give support but also to a monitor to our care. b. Foster family are welcomed to volunteer to care for the children in their home. The children can receive individual attention and care. The families offer to volunteer and attend and successful pass a training. These families are able to give love and warm care to individual children. They receive 2,000 baht/month as a remuneration These families previously were poor and homeless until the government gave them land. Now they have a house and land and economic security so as a payback to the government they are willing to care for these children. c. Proactive work is done by taking the knowledge and experience that is gained by the workers in the social welfare home and bringing it to the community. The community’s awareness is increased regarding the immensity of the problem of abandonment. They may know of one family that has abandoned a child but not of the total number of abandoned children who end up living in the social welfare homes. When the community holds a special festival event and many gathered in public at one time, a speaker will share about this social problem. Our social welfare home will join with the Ministry of Public Health, Ministry of Education, Ministry of labor and Ministry of the Interior.
 3. How did the initiative solve the problem and improve people’s lives?
Phaya Thai social welfare home has developed innovative care procedures by taking the information gained from statistical data collection (R2R) 3.1 In the home for example setting up a double row feeding table for the children that has 5 children in a row who are set up in a secure seat until they are finished eating so that 1 caregiver can attend to 10 children at time. A reclined bathing seat that is set up in the bath prevents water from going into the children’s ears. Baby massage and music is used by the caregivers and those who are skilled in this area go into the community to train the families there. 3.2 To supplement the families’ income PhayaThai gives training in alternative incomes using handicrafts such as plastic flowers, handbags 3.3 Give educational sessions in schools, or in the community the message of “no condom, no sex” will be included.

C. Execution and Implementation

 4. In which ways is the initiative creative and innovative?
Mr.Apichet Panjarat Psychologist & Head of Planning and Technical Department of Phayathai Babies'Home Thailand Social Welfare Home has taken the Department of Social Development and Welfare’s policy “focus on Social quality and foundation socially responsible together.” 4.1 Recognize the immediate need to develop the talent of teens and youth one by one to confirm their ability to be good leaders in the community for sustainable development. 4.2 Change approach from passively waiting for the children to be admitted to the home and thereby care for them to going out into the community to identify the cause of abandonment through the use of research methods R2R (Routine 2 Research) , KM (Knowledge Management) SAR (Self Assessment Research) 4.3 Continually think of innovative methods to use in the care of the children by inviting all parties to be involved, recognize the importance of the work, and continue to study to develop the worker’s own knowledge base on line. (Life long learning) (& Picture file)
 5. Who implemented the initiative and what is the size of the population affected by this initiative?
The people involved in the care of the children at the Home and in the community are considered Friends helping Friends. Besides the staff at the Social welfare home, the children themselves, the importance of team includes the Provincial Council of Children which supports the networking work of Friends helping Friends. “ The children think, the children work, and the government supports. “ The new generation has new ideas as a friend and the adults have experience so joining together. Private companies also provide the capital for the budget of these groups through their CSR (Cooperate Social Responsibility) Many business groups would like to develop their CSR but lack the knowledge of how to implement a social program. Staff at the homes can visit and explain to the businesses how to run a social program.
 6. How was the strategy implemented and what resources were mobilized?
Projects initiated by the government have their resources come from various sources. Funding may come from the private sector, human resources from the government and the youth in the community. Having a team that is from many generations allows the youth to be involved and develop their skills so that when the seniors retire the project is sustainable. This team is a initiating new project called “Blue Ocean” This is a new strategy to reach out to the new businesses who may not know about how to reach out the social needs in their community since their focus is business. The starting point is knowledge management (KM) using computer to collect information. Computers are relatively new technology that we can interface with the old traditions in the community. So we see a interlinking between technology, man, material, company’s funding, ideas from children and youth and local traditions and festivals. We meet often to find new methods in how to work together.
 7. Who were the stakeholders involved in the design of the initiative and in its implementation?
There has been a reduction of the number of new admissions to PhayaThai Social Welfare Home. As well the number of foster care families have increased. Foster families are allowed to take in 1 or 2 children at the most so that they can provide warm, loving care. Previously there were little cooperation between groups especially those projects that were the brainchild of the children,. But now the community is encouraged to join in the planning the develop of the model of the care of children at the Homes with the hope that in the future Phayathai will be recognized as the model of a children development centre. In summary the work needs many generations working together, needs financial renumeration, sufficiency economy including home based industry, natural environments for the children including staying with family in the community which is contrasted to industrial based work which separates the parents from the children during the day.
 8. What were the most successful outputs and why was the initiative effective?
Opinions are heard using a variety of methods. We have volunteers who are community based monitors who can recognize potential problems. Our volunteers focus on 4 areas including educational, environmental, energy conservation, and community economic development. There is a constant interlinking with the government, community, Children’s Council, businesses involved in funding through CSR projects, the various Ministries of the government, university representatives who give knowledge, and our Home. Love Thailand, Love our organization, Love the King, love the land with integrity, honesty, responsibility, diversity and trust between work colleagues. Relationship is very important. Recognizing the special talents and knowledge that members of the community have, and linking them with the youth allows the children gain awareness, and keeps the valuable wisdom and skills of the elders in the community. There is a great importance to protecting the people and environment of the community and keeping good hygiene, mental health, and respecting the goodness in the people and what they do. In reality it is difficult to speak with and gather knowledge from many community members but there is a great benefit. This Excellence of operational management system allows for an energetic team to successfully overcome difficult challenges.
 9. What were the main obstacles encountered and how were they overcome?
Have an objective but do not have a clear mission. How will we actually do? Now before we go to the community we discuss and decide what we ask in the community. Things don’t go according to plan. We come from many different departments so we must report individually but decide together, after a brainstorming session using a whiteboard, what we will focus on together. There are many good projects. Once a project is started it becomes routine, but our home does not have enough staff to sustain the original projects and start new ones. Now the volunteers in the community receive training from teachers we recruit from various education centres. Understanding between members from our team coming from various groups with their own agenda verses focusing on the project on hand. Different education having a clear objective and using the knowledge of their diverse knowledge bases to clarify the objective and method involves taking sufficient time to hear from each member. Most people do not enjoy doing research and analysis. They prefer doing their regular routine. The team leader needs to show his team members how to do simple charts to summarize the demographic information that can be gathered. Starting a project when the finances for the project are not yet sufficient. Even though the project may appear urgent, wait until the funding for the project is gathered before starting the project. Missing public relations announcements. Now we have identified key players so that when we communicate with a specific group Evaluations not reflecting valid (true) results. Now we evaluate the project activity when our team returns to the office and list the reasons for the results not being as successful as expected so that next time we can correct the problem and have more successful results

D. Impact and Sustainability

 10. What were the key benefits resulting from this initiative?
New initiatives related to how to care for the children at the Home or in the community are birthed out of resolving the problems that we faced. These innovative developments include We started with a limited budget from government and today we are also supported by the private sector (Corporate Social Responsibility). Also we are giving the opportunity to the private sector and volunteers to participate in Organization Development. Finally our goal is that every sector sees beyond the importance of children development and it is a role model of Early-Childhood Development Center. First 6 Main ideas : Massage & listening to the songs, Baby Bathtub Baby, dining table ,Play & learn library, To develop supportive family and volunteer families, Early childhood learning center. Additional 6 other ideas : Decorate ceilings so as to stimulate the children eyesight, Rubber floors, Colorful outdoor playgrounds, Baby-sitter volunteers, Preparation room for biological family and/ or adoptive family which is needed for each process : a minimum of 3 days. , Thai Folk Activity like a like a Buddhism Day. Some colleagues routinely do they work, it becomes repetitious and they are the ones that first were against this project. But after a brainstorming session we created the Knowledge Management project and today we still meet on regular basis to develop and continually improve. Finally the problem has been solved with spirit, support and teamwork. Sharing and compiling ideas by inviting students, volunteers and people both from inside and outside the country to visit organizations and give us feedback on their observations. After, the development team will analyze this information making the children the priority of this study. Phayathai Babies’ Home is developed to be a prototype agency to teach children’s care. It has to be used as a worldwide model for example in Kenya, China, Korea, Japan and many more countries. In Thailand, universities, schools and local governments have to study this subject. This should be extended not only to local agencies but also to a national level . Collaboration between the ministry and personnel is the key word. A genuine integration will be achieved by corporate work instead of individual work for a mutual benefit.” Stop teen mums” (Phayathai Babies ‘Home project) should not rely on funding from various agencies but for example could be allotted a regular budget from the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Public Health and local government organizations. Donors’ motivations are important; they contribute to the good image of the organization. For example, Toyota has Jon Payson bank CPR and many more come both to support the budget as well as to send volunteers to help.There is a problem of lack of understanding and coherence between the various sub-projects due to the specificity of their work. It is a major problem of “Stop Teen Mom” project because this project needs coordination from various sections. So we have set up a strategy to handle such problems. The participation of children and youth is essential with monthly meetings to listen to the opinion of each section and to improve and develop work. It is also essential to work closely with government officials, thanks to a leader who has the knowledge of each section and thanks to specialists sent to participate. We also have to encourage other institutes to contest for standard awards under the supervision of the respective ministries for being good models at work. Our institute and community received an award from the minister for being a model community. Other communities and localities are now interested in our project and concept “No one should be left behind”.
 11. Did the initiative improve integrity and/or accountability in public service? (If applicable)
Sustainable development responds to the present needs of the population. We need to not destroy the natural resources that are available at this time. We need to work as a team so that when we are no longer present in the community they will be able to carry on their own. 11.1 Working with the Council for Children who have creative ideas is the “Friends helping friends” uses those with a new culture This group will visit schools that less advantaged than their own and teach about safe sex and pregnancy, and have small group discussions and opportunity to write comments and questions on confidential papers. If specific concerns are recognized, Family therapy is initiated for the family of children who are at risk. 11.2 Giving importance to the community economic development. Starting with starting savings program. Financial Cooperatives are set up so that they can save and request loans are approved by the committee. This is especially for developing their vocational opportunities. 11.3 Network of Seniors or Aged members in the community. When the seniors came to visit the Home, they recognized the problem so they became surrogate grandparents to the children. They visit each other. The elders come to help the children to celebrate Thai traditional festivals and show the children how prepare the traditional decorations. The children go to visit them in the community.
 12. Were special measures put in place to ensure that the initiative benefits women and girls and improves the situation of the poorest and most vulnerable? (If applicable)
Cooperation with community involves personal sacrifice. We like to do things when it is convenient for us. But we needed to recognize that the community may not be able to attend at the time of our convenience. If the community volunteer who monitors the situation makes the appointment for the event, even if it is a holiday, we are now willing to give the seminar at that time. In the end more of the community is involved and we make a more significant impact on the community. What we’ve learned about budgeting. Our experience is like a pilot study that can be an example for other social welfare homes. The local private community groups are willing to approve the money for a project that they want to support quickly. Other homes could realize that they do not necessarily have to wait for the budget to be approved by the government. They can approach private organizations as well and receive approval for a project’s budget in a more timely manner. At this time we have lessened our burden of care by sharing it with foster families. Our staff can care for the children living at the Home well and the foster families are willing to provide good care in their homes which is possible given the stipend that they receive. This funding comes from a private business who reserves the right to check the appropriateness of the families. The number of community volunteers who work as monitors for their community has been increased. The development of a national hotline 1300, which deals with social problems, has helped us to reach the children in need more efficiently. It is a new phenomenon that the government is working in cooperation with NGO, Council for Children, the general population (our community volunteers) , private sector, seniors and working with the local community leaders. Recommendations for future consideration based on sustainable development. 1. Work together giving honor to others from different departments, ages, economic status, or educational backgrounds 2. Everyone who cooperates should receive a benefit. Let others know who your generous sponsors are. 3. The community who works with our teams should also receive benefits such as social welfare assistance, health benefits, and family business development. Even if their income might not be as substantial as if they worked at an industrial job, they can keep their children at home and have better family relationships.

Contact Information

Institution Name:   office of the Pubic Sector
Institution Type:   Government Agency  
Contact Person:   Mr.pongard Treekitwattanakul
Title:   Deputy Secretary-General  
Telephone/ Fax:   +(66) 2 356 9999/ + (66) 2 281 8169
Institution's / Project's Website:  
E-mail:   areepan@opdc.go.th  
Address:   59/1 Pitsanuloke Road,Dusit
Postal Code:   10300
City:   Dusit Ditrict
State/Province:   Bangkok
Country:  

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