A Statistical Profile of Child Protection in Cambodia
01 Mar 2018
Cambodia
This country page features an interactive, icon-based data dashboard providing a national-level overview of the status of children’s care and care reform efforts (a “Country Care Snapshot”), along with a list of resources and organizations in the country.
demographic_data
16.52 million
Total Population
NIS 2019 provisional census data
i
Awaiting full census data to be released
6.11 million
People
Total Population Under 18
Estimate
37%
Population Under 18
UNICEF statistical profile
4.6
People
Mean Household Size
DHS, 2014
26.9%
Prevalence of Female-Headed Households
DHS 2014
Lower Middle Income Country
World Bank GNI Status
World Bank 2016
12.9%
Living Below Poverty Line
ADB, 2020
37.9
GINI Coefficient
UN World Population Prospects 2019
0.582
Human Development Index
UNDP 2017
childrens_living_arrangement
%
Country
NO SOURCE GIVEN
73.9%
Living with Both Parents
DHS 2021 - 2022
i
National Institute of Statistics (NIS) - 2021-22
11.7%
Living with One Parent
DHS 2021 - 2022
i
National Institute of Statistics (NIS) - 2021-22
14%
Living with Neither Parent
DHS 2021 - 2022
i
National Institute of Statistics (NIS) - 2021-22
%
Effective
NO SOURCE GIVEN
children_living_without_bio
97%
Living in Kinship Care
BCN Analysis of 2014 DHS Data
3%
Living With a Non-Relative
BCN Analysis of 2014 DHS Data
84%
Both Parents Alive
BCN Analysis of 2014 DHS Data
10%
One Parent Dead
BCN Analysis of 2014 DHS Data
7%
Both Parents Dead
BCN Analysis of 2014 DHS Data
Children living below poverty line
896,877
children
MoP IDPoor Program round 7-9 (2013-2015)
i
Children living in level 1 and level 2 ranked households
11%
Children engaged in Child Labor
ILO/NIS 2012- UNICEF Statistical Profile 2018
10.1%
Children with Disabilities
Handicap International 2015
i
10.1 percent of children in Cambodia have a disabling condition
21.1%
Left Behind Children (Migration)
CRUMP series report MUP 2015
i
% of migrant households with left behind children
Children affected by HIV
4,061
children
UNAIDS 2015
i
children between 0-14
Street Connected Children
3,545
children
UNICEF Statistical Profile 2018
i
Children living on the streets counted in 7 provinces including all major hotspots
60%
Children experiencing violence
Cambodia's Violence Against Children Survey 2014
i
approximately 60 % of children experience a form of violence before 18 yrs old
Children in conflict with the law
1,540
children
UNICEF q.2 report 2019
0 Families/Parents
0 Children
NO SOURCE GIVEN
0 Families/Parents
0 Children
NO SOURCE GIVEN
Total Family-Based Alternative Care
- - Families/Parents
- - Children
NO SOURCE GIVEN
Foster Care
- - Foster Families/Foster Parents
- - Children
NO SOURCE GIVEN
Formal Kinship Care
- - Families/Parents
- - Children
NO SOURCE GIVEN
Total Residential Care
639 Settings
26,187 Children
MoSVY 2017
Residential Care Institutions (RCIs)
406 Settings
16,579 Children
MoSVY 2017
Group Homes
71 Settings
1,592 Children
MoSVY 2017
Transit Homes/Temporary Emergency Accommodation
25 Settings
628 Children
MoSVY 2017
Boarding Schools/Boarding Houses
72 Settings
6,039 Children
MoSVY 2017
Pagoda and faith based care
65 Settings
1,349 Children
MoSVY 2017
Lancet Global Study Estimate of Children Living in Institutional Care
48,775 Children
i
Lower Bound: 48,775
Upper Bound: 48,775
Desmond, et al, 2020
92.8%
Children with Both Parents Alive
DHS 2021 - 2022
4.9%
Children with One Parent Alive
DHS 2021 - 2022
1.9%
Children with Both Parents Dead
DHS 2021 - 2022
Country
NO SOURCE GIVEN
Effective
NO SOURCE GIVEN
%
1
Social Welfare Spending
ABD SPI 2015
i
This is the % allocated to social assistance from the SPI
$
3.10 million
Child Welfare Spending
Social Protection Review OECD Cambodia 2017
i
1.7% of MoSVY budget in 2016
Alternative Care Policy in Line with the 2009 Guidelines
Mostly
Prakas on the Enforcement of the Policy on the Alternative Care for Children 2006 & Prakas on the Procedure to Implement the Policy on the Alternative Care of Children
i
Policy was developed prior to the Guildeines and requires amendments to bring it into full conformity
Commitment to Deinstitutionalistion
Yes
MoSVY Action Plan for Improving Child Care 2016-2018
Comprehensive Child Protection Law
Partly
UNICEF Quarterly Brief 5 2019
i
Current legal framework is fragmented however comprehensive Child Protection law is in development
Continuum of Alternative Care Services Available
Limited
NO SOURCE GIVEN
i
Data Source: Cambodia Country Care Profile 2020
Data System
Mostly
UNCIEF Quarterly Brief 5 2019
i
Includes National CPMIS, CMS, and government. CMS interoperability with primary CMS used by NGOs
Existence of a Regulatory Body and Regulatory System
Yes
Sub-decree 119 2015
Gatekeeping Mechanism/Policy
Mostly
Sub Decree 34, 119
Means of Tracking Progress with Reforms
Mostly
UNICEF Quarterly Brief 5 2019
Moratorium on Admission into Institutions for Children Under 3
Yes
MoSVY Action Plan for Improving Child Care 2016-2018
Moratorium on New Institutions
No Data
NO SOURCE GIVEN
National Action Plan to Guide Reforms
Yes
MoSVY Action Plan for Improving Child Care 2016-2018
National Standards of Care
Yes
Prakas on the Minimum Standards for Residential Care of Children 2008 and Prakas on the Minimum Standards for Alternative Care in the Community 2008
Prevention of Separation Services Available
Limited
NO SOURCE GIVEN
i
Data Source: Cambodia Country Care Profile 2020
Support for Careleavers (in Legislation and in Practice)
Partly
Sub Decree 90, 116
i
Current provision is for a 1 time payment for young people exiting from state institutions, however this is under review.
1,393
children
Number of Children Reintegrated Out of Institutional Care
UNICEF Quarterly Brief 5, 2019
social_work_force
Workers
NO SOURCE GIVEN
Country
Workers
NO SOURCE GIVEN
Effective
A national workforce assessment and analysis carried out within the past four years
No
Social Service Workforce In the East Asia and Pacific Region Multi Country Review 2019 UNCIEF/GSSWA
i
Social Work Quality Assurance framework is under development
A system of licensing/registration of social service professionals
Yes
Social Service Workforce In the East Asia and Pacific Region Multi Country Review 2019 UNCIEF/GSSWA
key_stakeholders
Key Stakeholders
Add New DataCountry
Government
i
MoSVY is the ministry with the overarching responsibility for the protection and wellbeing of children nationally. MoSVY has the primary responsibility for children in alternative care and for the development of the laws, policies, sector and strategic plans and technical standards to guide care reforms and social service provisions nationally.
National Child Protection Commission (NCPC)
i
The NCPC has the mandate to ensure the cooperation and coordination of all government and non-government actors involved in child protection. The NCPC is further responsible for identifying and addressing gaps in the legal framework, promoting its implementation and providing the technical assistance to aid implementation.
i
MoI has the mandate to oversee the subnational administrative structures responsible for social service provision and frontline child protection and child welfare.
Provincial Department of Social Youth and Veteran Affairs (DoSVY)
i
DoSVY is the capital/provincial line office of MoSVY and is responsible for the oversight of State run RCIs, including approving new admissions or requests for exiting state care, data collection on children in alternative care and the preparation of budgets for the provincial and district offices of social affairs
Women and Children Consultative Committees (WCCC)
i
The WCCC is mandated to support the implementation of the Alternative Care Policy primarily through resource mobilization and capacity building, including the analysis of provincial data and inclusion of child protection issues and service needs in provincial plans.
Social Affairs and Welfare Office (OSVY)
i
OSVY is an office within the District Administration which acts as the Secretariat for the administration of social affairs and social service provision at the district level.
Commune Committee for Women and Children (CCWC)
i
CCWCs are the commune level entities responsible for women and children. CCWCs provide frontline child welfare services, including prevention, referral, gatekeeping and reintegration
Civil Society Organisations
i
UNICEF is the key technical partner to the RGC in the development of the child protection sector, supporting MoSVY at the national and sub-national level, but also supporting the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Cults and Religion and the Ministry of Interior in child protection and care reform related interventions.
i
Save the Children Cambodia acts as the facilitator for Family Care First as well as co-leads the CPIE cluster
i
FCF is an initiative using a collective approach backed by USAID which fosters cross sector collaboration towards a shared goal of increasing the number of children living in safe and nurturing families.
i
3PC is a tripartite partnership between MoSVY, UNICEF and Friends International, who further coordinate a network of 10 NGOs. 3PC was established to coordinate technical and implementing agencies to strengthen the child protection system and provide child protection services including the provision of alternative care.
Effective
Other Relevant Reforms
Add New DataEffective
NO SOURCE GIVEN
Child Protection
i
Child Protection and Care reforms are integrated in Cambodia
Cambodia Country Care Profile 2020
Decentralisation
i
Relates to the transfers of child protection and social welfare service delivery from the MoSVY to the subnational level under the District Administration Structure
Cambodia Country Care Profile 2020
drivers_of_institutionalisation
Drivers of Institutionaliziation
Add New DataCountry
Push Factors
Poverty
i
Source: NIS 2015, National Estimation of Children in Residential Care Institutions in Cambodia
Violence against children
i
Source: UNICEF 2011 With the Best Intentions' A study of the attitudes towards residential care in Cambodia
Lack of Social Welfare Services
i
Source: UNICEF 2011 With the Best Intentions' A study of the attitudes towards residential care in Cambodia
Migration
i
Source: UNICEF 2011 With the Best Intentions' A study of the attitudes towards residential care in Cambodia
Access to Education
i
Source: NIS 2015, National Estimation of Children in Residential Care Institutions in Cambodia
Pull Factors
Foreign funding
i
Source: MoSVY, Mapping Residential Care Facilities in the Capital and 24 Provinces of the Kingdom of Cambodia 2017
Orphanage tourism and volunteering
i
Source: MoSVY, Mapping Residential Care Facilities in the Capital and 24 Provinces of the Kingdom of Cambodia 2017
Child Recruitment
Services provided by RCIs
i
Source: MoSVY Mapping Residential Care Facilities in the Capital and 24 Provinces of the Kingdom of Cambodia 2017
Effective
key_research_and_information
Key Data Sources
Add New DataCountry
Mapping of residential care facilities in the capital and 24 provinces of the kingdom of Cambodia
01 Apr 2017
National estimation of children in residential care institutions in Cambodia: A modelling study
16 Jan 2017
Prevalence and number of children living in institutional care: global, regional, and country estimates
06 Mar 2020
Shaping the national social protection strategy in Cambodia: Global influence and national ownership
14 Aug 2014
Towards a Social Protection Strategy for the Poor and Vulnerable: Outcomes of the consultation process
01 Jul 2010
Country Care Profile: Cambodia
01 Oct 2020
Effective
Acknowledgements
Data for this country care snapshot was contributed by partners at Family Care First and UNICEF Cambodia.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 281
This report provides an in-depth analysis of trends and progress in reducing the number of residential care facilities in Cambodia and the children placed in them between 2015–2024.
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This article traces the evolution of Cambodia’s system for caring for orphans and vulnerable children (OVC), shaped by political stabilization, emerging child protection concerns, international advocacy, and gradual state engagement. While Cambodia now has a solid policy framework, weak government prioritization, poor interagency coordination, and limited local capacity hinder implementation, leaving proponents to push for broader political commitment, balanced international support, and stronger responses to root causes such as poverty and migration.
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This special issue of the Children and Youth Services Review concerns the governance of children's care systems in low and middle-income countries, with a focus on Cambodia, Uganda and Zambia. The special issue focuses on the political and bureaucratic factors that shape priority for and the effectiveness of national children's care systems in low and middle-income countries.
This report, based on a study across nine countries, examines how to strengthen the community-level social welfare workforce (CLSWW) as a vital but under-resourced part of national child protection systems. It calls for context-specific strategies that clearly define roles and competencies, build capacity, and align with local norms, mechanisms, and resources to enhance child protection outcomes.
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This article extends clientelism theory to examine the impact of clientelism on the rights of children residing in these unregulated residential care facilities in Cambodia and Myanmar.
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The objective of this study is to document lessons learned from Family Care First (FCF) | Responsive and Effective Child Welfare System Transformation (REACT) members in Cambodia, as well as the literature from others working on transition globally, to create evidence-based recommendations to inform future transitions and closure of residential care institutions in Cambodia at scale.
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This study was conducted by Family Care First (FCF), to enhance the understanding of common practices of kinship and foster care in Cambodia and identify gaps and good practices that are scalable to promote quality options for family based alternative care programs. FCF is a network of global organizations working together to support children to live in safe, nurturing family-based care.
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Case studies from the Global South provide insights on how to effectively support children who have experienced violence.
Case studies from Peru, Cambodia and DRC provide lessons on how income support can contribute to keeping children safe.
The article explores the implications of the use of clientelism in orphanage trafficking for prevention efforts, child protection governance reforms, and rehabilitation of children whose perception of exploitation and victimization has been shaped by their socialization to clientelism norms
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