The ISS General Secretariat in Geneva oversees the global project A Better Future is Possible, which promotes the right of children with disabilities living in institutions to access family-based care.

In 2013, ISS Australia’s Deputy CEO, Damon Martin was selected as the Social Work Expert for this initiative. To date, Damon has completed over 15 missions to Vietnam, Cambodia, Philippines and Azerbaijan. He is particularly proud to have led the UNICEF-funded children with disabilities project in Cambodia since 2016.

The UNICEF Cambodia funded Children with Disabilities Project - Foundations and Achievements

The project commenced with a Needs Assessment Mission, resulting in a comprehensive report that included actionable recommendations to enhance alternative care opportunities for children with disabilities in Cambodia. The report, endorsed by Minister Vong Sauth, Cambodia’s Minister of Social Affairs, can be downloaded here.

Key Activities and Milestones

February 2018: ISS Australia assembled a global team of experts in children with disabilities to deliver:

• ‍Train-the-Trainer Program: Conducted in Phnom Penh for 13 selected Cambodian National Trainers (government and NGO professionals). Trainers were equipped with ISS tools for social work, nutrition, and feeding practices, which they passed on to staff directly caring for children with disabilities.‍
• Workshops in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap:
  • Developed a strategic plan for implementing Small Group Homes.
  • Created technical guidance for foster care implementation.

July 2018: ISS Australia signed its largest UNICEF agreement, encompassing:

• Creation of a data collection template for children with disabilities in Residential Care Institutions (RCIs), foster care, and Small Group Homes.
• Development of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for establishing Small Group Homes.
• Organisation of a Study Tour to Hong Kong for seven Cambodian delegates to explore family-based care models and Small Group Homes.
• Follow-up training for the 13 National Trainers, including lessons learned and future training needs.
• Creation of gatekeeping strategies to prevent the placement and abandonment of children with disabilities in RCIs.
• Development of specific standards and an implementation handbook for kinship care, foster care, and domestic adoption programs for children with disabilities.

November 2019: ISS Australia carried out:

• A workshop in Kampong Cham to develop Community-Based Rehabilitation (CBR) strategies, culminating in a technical guidance document.
• A practical Children with Disabilities Manual for Cambodian frontline workers.
• Technical support for local NGOs, Damnok Toek and Children in Families.

Training Modules for Children with Disabilities

2021: ISS Australia developed and piloted Level 1 of the Children with Disabilities training module in collaboration with the Cambodian Government’s National Institute of Social Affairs (NISA). Following feedback from UNICEF and participants, the training was adapted for community workers, focusing on:

1. Child development and growth.
2. The importance of play.
3. Disability in the context of family and Cambodian society.
4. Early identification and intervention.
5. Effects of institutionalisation and the benefits of family settings.
6. Inclusion and community-based services.

Subsequently, Levels 2 and 3 were developed in collaboration with United Aid for Azerbaijan (UAFA) and SPOON:

• ‍Level 2: For district workers and para-social workers (Cambodian Government frontline and NGO staff).‍
• Level 3: Designed to enhance the expertise of professionals working with children with disabilities.‍
• Level 4: Focused on policy and planning principles for government officials and leaders of disability organisations.

Targeting Deinstitutionalisation for Children with Disabilities in Residential Care Institutions (RCIs)

• This initiative aims to transition children with disabilities from institutional care to family-based care, including kinship care and specialised foster care. ISS worked in collaboration with Cambodia’s Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans, and Youth Rehabilitation (MoSVY), a local implementing partner, and a pilot RCI to develop and coordinate deinstitutionalisation plans.
• Through promoting family reintegration and kinship care, as well as establishing specialised foster care for children with disabilities, this approach has helped inform national strategies for children with disabilities deinstitutionalisation, provide replicable procedures, and support international efforts to transition children from institutional care to family-based care.

Partnership with SPOON Foundation

In 2018, ISS Australia formalised a partnership with the SPOON Foundation, experts in feeding and nutrition based in Portland, Oregon.

Commitment to the Future

ISS Australia is dedicated to ensuring that children with disabilities in Cambodia grow up in families, not orphanages. By empowering professionals to create supportive family environments, we aim to foster brighter, more inclusive futures for children with disabilities.

Our Solution

• ‍Care Reform & Deinstitutionalisation: Promote disability-inclusive care reform and deinstitutionalisation.‍
• Enhanced Case Management: Strengthen case management systems for children in institutions.‍
• Social Work Improvement: Training to advance social work practices tailored to children’s needs.‍
• Technical Guidance: Provide expertise on family care procedures.‍
• Capacity Building: Training and equipping the social workforce with effective intervention tools.‍
• Community Support: Empower families and communities to provide optimal care.

ISS Australia is committed to expanding this critical work beyond Cambodia to other countries in Asia and the Pacific. In collaboration with the ISS General Secretariat’s global initiative, ‘A Better Future is Possible’, we aim to:

• Advocate for national care reforms, prioritising family reunification, alternative family-based care, and influencing key stakeholders toward family-focused solutions.
• Strengthen caregivers' capacity to deliver social work interventions and improve daily care, nutrition, and feeding practices in partnership with SPOON.
• Support and empower families and communities to meet children’s immediate and long-term needs effectively.

Together, we are building a future where every child grows up in a loving and supportive family. Because when you create a care system that works for children with disabilities, you create a system that works for all children.

‍