What does it look like when fostering becomes part of everyday community life? In northeast Thailand, a visit to a group of foster families offered Country Manager Jane Arnott a glimpse of just that – a community where families support one another, children grow up feeling they belong, and the decision to foster is inspiring the next generation.

“There is something special about spending time with foster parents and seeing the warmth between them and the children in their care. Last week, a visit to a fostering community in northeast Thailand offered a lovely glimpse of this - and of the community that supports them.

Our hosts welcomed us to sit together on the porch, where four foster mothers proudly introduced their young children. With gentle encouragement, the children greeted us with a traditional Thai wai, pressing their palms together and bowing their heads. Some offered big, toothy grins; others stayed close to their foster mothers.

Two more foster mothers joined us, having already sent their children off to school. They were clearly just as eager to introduce the children in their care, so they climbed onto their motorcycle cart and headed to the school to ask if the children could be excused for an hour or so to join us. Soon, a few balloons were being batted from person to person, and the shyness began to melt away.

As the mothers shared stories of how long they had been fostering and the number of children they had cared for, the conversation grew lively. Their northeastern dialect became stronger with every animated story, occasionally leaving those of us based in northern Thailand needing a little translation!

Two things stood out as we listened. First was the strength of their support for one another. These families live close together, their children attend the same school, and they share the joys and challenges of fostering.

Second was the way fostering is being passed from one generation to the next. One grandmother was among the community’s first foster carers. Today, her son and daughter-in-law foster too. Her daughter-in-law explained that she had known the family since childhood and grown up seeing them care for children from the welfare home. Becoming a foster mother herself had felt like a natural step.

We left encouraged by what these families are building together: loving homes, lasting support and a tradition of welcoming children. It's a powerful reminder that helping children grow up in families is not just about finding individual foster homes – it's about building communities where children are welcomed, supported and belong.”