Take Care Kids

After many years of volunteer service with the most desparate situations and a very careful study of the social situation we carried out with local authorities, TCK has decided to open a shelter for single mothers (with children) living in dire conditions (abused or sick) in the poorest areas and in the slums where Take Care Kids has been operating for years.

Why develop our project with single mothers?

The majority of children we have helped in these years in Pattaya and the Chonburi province are sons and daughters of single mothers. Most of the husbands or boyfriends meaning the fathers of the kids are hardly ever present in their kids' lives. There are many reasons for this: some are held in local jails, some just leave and some run away because they feel incapable of supporting their families. The age of these mothers and fathers keeps dropping and we have seen one of the parents (and sometimes both parents) running from their responsibilities. This is why our Shelter is so important for these mothers during the period they decide to stay with us in accordance to the laws of the Kingdom of Thailand and in cooperation with all authorities and other private institutions. Take Care Kids believes in family values, even reduced families with only mothers in order for the children to grow in the best way.

Our project:

We will renovate a 5 storey building of approximately 400 square meters in the following manner:

Ground floor:

The ground flor will host Take Care Kids Thailand Foundation's offices with a table for meetings and a reception area for the shelter's guests. In the back we will build a kitchen with tables and chairs to host the 6 mothers and their children (maximum 15 per meal). On the outer part of the building there will be a small covered area which will act as laundry. We will also build a small bathroom between the office and the kitchen, right in front of the stairs that go to the first floor.

First floor:

The first floor will have two rooms (divided by plasterboard) in the front in order to host two mothers and their kids (max 4-5). Each room will have a single bed for the mother and bunk beds for the children, a wardrobe and a small table for the tv or stereo. The bathroom with shower will be built between the rooms and will be shared by those living on the floor. Behind the rooms there will be a small storage area for house linens and cleaning material.

Second floor:

The second floor will have two rooms (divided by plasterboard) in the front in order to host two mothers and their kids (max 4-5). Each room will have a single bed for the mother and bunk beds for the children, a wardrobe and a small table for the tv or stereo. The bathroom with shower will be built between the rooms and will be shared by those living on the floor. Behind the rooms there will be a small storage area for house linens and cleaning material.

Third floor:

The third floor will have two rooms (divided by plasterboard) in the front in order to host two mothers and their kids (max 4-5). Each room will have a single bed for the mother and bunk beds for the children, a wardrobe and a small table for the tv or stereo. The bathroom with shower will be built between the rooms and will be shared by those living on the floor. Behind the rooms there will be a small storage area for house linens and cleaning material.

Fourth floor:

The fourth floor (terrace) is enclosed with a safety net and has a roofing for cover and shade. This will be the children's playground and open study area for those who go to school.

Our objectives:

As soon as the mothers enter the shelter with their children they will be briefed on the rules and regulations of the house, and they will have to follow them very carefully. The mothers and their kids will be registered as a family by our Foundation and will be therefore protected and registered with the local authorities as well. All mothers entering the shelter will have to work either within the shelter or outside.

Mothers will get a bank account which will be frozen fro a year. As soon as they reach an amount close to 1500 Euro they will be allowed to leave the shelter and get back into society. They will be monitored and cared for during the whole period and their children will be babysitted and educated by specialized TCK personnel.

The whole project is called "Take Care Kids Shelter" in Italian and will be developed and managed by Take Care Kids Thailand Foundation in tight cooperation with all local authorities and other private entities who are legally recognized by the Thai Government.

This project will allow TCK to offer secure sheltering to at least 9 mothers (coming from slum areas and other very degraded environments) and their children(generally two per mother). We are sure this project will also allow the "family" to reinsert itself within Thai society in a gradual and healthy way.

The experience we have built up in many years of volunteer service in many Thai structures makes us say that our Shelter will probably employ two people (a cook and a manager) and will thus be able to function. All other positions will be covered by TCK volunteers who will not receive salaries but will come from many countries within and without Europe.

The data we accumulated also tells us that the yearly costs of the shelter will be approximately 15 thousand Euro and the expenses are thus divided:

• Energy (electricity)
• Water (from public water system)
• Personnel (2-3 people max)
• General equipment

All costs for the support of the families who will live in the shelter will be covered by Take Care Kids Onlus Italia's work; donations (mostly private donations from Italy), fundraising, long distance adoptions or sponsorships (adopt a family project). This formula which we have studied and recognized as valid will start as soon as the first families enter the shelter.

The Address of our shelter is: 149/368-369 Moo 8 Sukhumvit Road (Opp. King Power) Nongprue, Banglamung, Chonburi 20150