Chhuon Leak
Children in Families (CIF)
Foster Care Manager
"I enjoy it when I see children who are placed in foster families show improvement in their health and wellbeing which is totally different from when they were first referred to us."
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Chhuon Leak

Background Information

Bachelor in Management, Diploma in English 

Our Interview With Practitioner

What are the most important things you’ve learned from this work?

As an orphan (with mum only), I can relate to the loneliness I have because I have longed for a complete family (with both parents). I have learned that most families that have both parents are more complete and fulfilling. Foster care is possible and foster families can make the child feel like they belong too. 

What are the best approaches for supporting families?

What Works:

  • Financial support, ongoing follow up and training families 

  • Cluster group meeting creates space for peer learning 

  • Family recruitment with clear process and making decisions as a team rather than based on individuals 

Why and How it Works:

  • Children placed in stable families and loved and cared for properly by their foster families like other children.
  • After the child is in our care, we recruit families, train, identify the needs for support and provide regular ongoing follow up right through to possible reintegration and domestic adoption.

What Doesn't Work:

  • Some families, though trained have not been able to apply much from the training due to their past experience and traditional mindset especially on parenting.
  • Cluster group works only in a particular province that have cases closer to each other and do not work in other areas due to their scattered family location. 

  • Families who are still receiving financial support tend to be more collaborative while those at monitoring stage have very little engagement.

 

Where They Operate

Key Areas of Work

Family Reintegration/Reunification
and
Family Strengthening/Family Preservation