A New Chapter for Sophea

When found abandoned in a hospital in Cambodia, newborn Sophea may have ended up in an orphanage. And when she needed costly treatments for her special needs, she may have gone without them. But thanks to a recent and groundbreaking change in Cambodia’s childcare system — and the generous support of Holt donors — Sophea’s story took a different, more hopeful turn.

Three-year-old Sophea smiles and laughs easily, her dark brown eyes framed by robin’s egg blue glasses. She wears gold bangles on her wrists and a gold chain necklace around her neck. Her foster mother loves to style her short hair in spikey pigtails or just one top knot held in place with a colorful barrette. She is a bright-eyed, cheerful girl who is clearly loved and doted upon by the people who have been entrusted with her care.

But Sophea’s life did not start out this way.

Soon after she was born, Sophea was left at a hospital to be found and cared for by strangers. Her birth mother could not be located. Although we’ll likely never know the reason, Sophea’s birth mother very likely lived in poverty and felt she could not provide for her newborn daughter.

In Cambodia, a country where nearly 20% of people live in poverty, this story is common. Many parents place their children in orphanages in the hope that they will at least have food to eat, medicine when they’re sick and an education. Others, like Sophea, come into care after being found abandoned.

Like the stories of countless children before her, the next chapter of Sophea’s story would have typically taken place in orphanage. 

But thanks to a recent and groundbreaking change in Cambodia’s childcare system — and the generous support of Holt donors — Sophea’s story took a different, more hopeful turn.

Donor-Supported Foster Care in Cambodia

For many years, Cambodia was considered to have one of the highest rates of children living in institutional care globally. Even more devastating was the fact that most of these children were not true orphans; nearly 80% of children in care had one or more living parents.

But in 2017, Holt’s team in Cambodia began working alongside the Cambodian government to help reduce the number of children living in the country’s residential care institutions — either by reuniting them with their birth families or preventing them from coming into care in the first place. Two years later, in 2019, Holt Cambodia piloted three family-based care alternatives for children living in institutions — kinship care, foster care and domestic adoption.

Holt has a long history of developing family-based care alternatives for children growing up in orphanages, establishing the first wide-scale foster care program in Korea in 1965. Through Holt’s model of foster care, children receive what they simply cannot find in institutions — the one-on-one attention and nurturing care of a devoted and well-trained caregiver. Holt developed trainings for foster parents to provide this kind of attentive care — care that helps children reach developmental milestones and form the healthy emotional attachments that are so critical to their overall wellbeing. After Korea, Holt introduced foster care programs in numerous countries including Thailand, Vietnam, India, China — and, in 2019, Cambodia.

By the time Sophea was referred for foster placement, in early 2023, Holt Cambodia’s foster care program had already expanded to two locations in the country, serving 30-40 children each year.

Holt Donors Help Sophea Thrive

Sophea was just two months old when she arrived in her foster parents’ home.

“When Sophea first arrived, she was a quiet infant who startled easily and showed limited interaction with people around her. It was clear that she needed time, care and support to feel safe,” our team in Cambodia shares.

Thankfully, Sophea’s foster parents were not inexperienced at caring for orphaned and vulnerable children. Twelve years ago, they had welcomed into their home a boy growing up without his birth parents, informally fostering him. At the time, there were no formal guidelines on foster care in Cambodia. He still lives with them today.

Sophea’s foster parents had also received many trainings from Holt Cambodia before they were approved to accept a child into their home — from trainings on basic nutrition, health and hygiene to understanding developmental stages and positive parenting practices. This additional education empowered Sophea’s foster parents to better support and nurture her as she adapted to her new environment.

As time passed, it became apparent that Sophea was struggling not just emotionally, but physically.  As she grew, doctors discovered that Sophea had a condition in both of her eyes that made it hard for her to see clearly. With support from Holt donors, she received eye surgery to improve her vision when she was 2 years old.

Sophea also had difficulty moving. Her legs were stiff, and she could not stand or walk like other children her age. With medical support, she started physical therapy to help strengthen her body. When this was not enough, doctors provided additional treatment to help correct her hip position.

Had Sophea remained in the orphanage, she may not have received the medical and therapeutic care she needed. While many parents place their children in orphanages believing they will receive the nutrition, education and medical care they can’t afford to provide, resources are limited and many children go without the vital care they need. But once a child is in Holt foster care, social workers ensure they receive regular check-ups and follow-up care. This is another major benefit of Holt’s donor-supported foster care program — especially for children with special needs.

After weeks of treatment, Sophea’s condition began to improve. “Today, she can sit by herself and is starting to take small steps with support,” our team in Cambodia writes. “Each step is a big achievement for her.”

None of this would have been possible without funding from Holt donors.

Since she entered into Holt foster care, Sophea’s medical care has exceeded $1,400 — all provided through the generous support of Holt donors.

A Better Future for Children in Cambodia

While doing everything possible to strengthen her physical health and wellbeing, Sophea’s foster family and social work team at Holt Cambodia have also been attentive to her emotional health and wellbeing. With love and support, Sophea’s joyful personality has emerged.

“She is no longer the quiet and fearful baby she once was,” our team in Cambodia writes. “She is now happy, playful and full of life.”

Sophea still needs ongoing care, therapy and support. She recently received leg surgery to help her walk independently, and will continue to need costly follow-up care.  

She also still needs a permanent, loving family. For every child in the program, foster care is intended to be just a chapter of their story — with family reunification or adoption the hopeful outcome.

Among the 28 children who have left Holt Cambodia’s foster care program over the past several years, eight were adopted domestically in Cambodia, ten were reunified with their birth families and ten were placed in permanent kinship care. On a larger scale, the number of children living in residential care in Cambodia is now a fraction of what it once was, thanks to nationwide efforts to place them in family-based care.

Holt’s team in Cambodia is now actively working to identify a permanent family for Sophea. But while she waits, she is growing and thriving in the loving care of her foster family — all thanks to Holt Cambodia’s pioneering foster care program, and the kindness and generosity of Holt donors who support orphaned and vulnerable children.

As our team in Cambodia writes, “With your support, more children like Sophea can receive the care they need to grow, heal and have a better future.”