Child Protection and Development Center (CPDC)

The Child Protection and Development Center provides a home for former street children that have no one else caring for them and, in many cases, suffer from exploitation, abuse and extreme poverty.
The center consists of several residence houses, each offering space for eight children and a supervisor. The number of children permanently living in the Center varies between 35 and 45, while plans are to offer shelter for up to 60 children in the future.

Since 2010 an Education Building is available to offer remedial classes, vocational training, tutoring and support with homework.

Since many of the children living in Pattaya’s slums are at risk of dropping out of school, or have already done so, the center also aims to provide support and tutoring for children from the slums.

A nursery offers medical treatment for the children living at the center and also for children from poor families.

The children living at CPDC attend public schools in the local area and are supported in their studies by the CPDC staff. Every attempt is made to reintegrate those children who have had a minimum amount of schooling. If that's not possible CPDC aims to provide job training and informal classes to improve those children’s chances to find a job and lead their own lives.

In many cases the children have been traumatized by events and experiences in their childhood. The role of CPDC’s social workers is to accompany each former street child in the process of self-rehabilitation.

To effectively combat child trafficking as well as commercial and sexual exploitation of children in and around Pattaya, the CPDC has set up a four step process model;

-Outreach work is the initial action to reach street children and those that have been or are at risk of being abused or exploited. The CPDC’s outreach staff works to establish a relationship with the street children and children at risk of abuse. Gaining the children’s trust is a fundamental first step in helping them.

-The Drop-in Center is the first step for children towards rehabilitation, providing basic necessities like food, a stable residence, clothing and medicine.

-The CPDC then serves as a long term shelter for children from the Drop-in Center who choose to leave the streets and go back to a structured and more appropriate environment but cannot be reconciled with their families.

-Prevention Program: To prevent children from running away from their families or becoming victims of exploitation, the CPDC Team has established a day care program for the children living in Pattaya’s slums. The program provides recreational and remedial education activities taking place at the CPDC and directly in the slums.

The CPDC is managed by Human Help Network Foundation Thailand, an NGO registered under Thai law. The Center is supported by a number of embassies and governments.

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