The Thien Phuoc Centre for Children with Disability

Building bridges, breaking barriers and achieving excellence

The UN has designated 2003-2012 the Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons. Their Framework for Action sets out how to reach an Inclusive, Barrier-free and Rights-based Society for Persons with Disabilities. Using that framework and the recommendations made in the most recent UNICEF Vietnam Child Disability Survey, we have developed the following mission and goals for the new Centre.

The mission of the Thien Phuoc Centre for Children with Disability is to work in partnership with people with disability to develop their potential to the fullest so that they can become self-reliant and independent. This is to be achieved by continually seeking, learning and developing skills, and transferring them to carers, the community and the country.

Short Term Goals

To provide a comprehensive rehabilitative environment for over 300 children per day
To create individual care plans targeting health, meaningful occupational lifeskills and learning goals for each of these children
To provide a range of vocational training opportunities appropriate to their age and ability
To offer specialist training for parents and relatives who take care of children in the home
To host international practitioners willing to share their expertise and support our goal of ensuring continuous education for our staff
To work with community organisations to integrate children of all abilities in joint cultural, entertainment, sporting and performance activities

Medium Term Goals

To work in partnership with local businesses to use our sheltered workshop as a springboard to long term job creation
To staff our centre with appropriately trained and salaried people from the disabled community
To develop training to support inclusion of special needs students in school
To create a benchmark training programme aimed at reinforcing and expanding community-based rehabilitation services in rural provinces.

Long Term Goals

To raise awareness, leading to better understanding of living with disability and increased social integration into the community
To facilitate the integration of Vietnam into the regional associations setting standards and delivering success in disability-related issues