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July 3, 2017

Article: "Australia Looks to Outlaw Tours to Orphanages in Cambodia"

Australian senator Linda Reynolds said that many orphanages in Cambodia and other developing countries exploit children and that organizing tours or visits to such centers should be considered a criminal offense. Said Reynolds, “…Some children are stolen, some are recruited—the facilities pay recruiters to go out to poor communities and convince parents that their children will be better off in these institutions”. Free To Shine follows child protection policies and best practices and believes Cambodian children should not be treated like commodities, nor tourist attractions. We employ a family-based model in our prevention work, aiming to keep our girls out of orphanages and in their families and communities where they are best supported. We believe that having a network of support reduces the risk of being targeted by sex traffickers. Learn more about Free To Shine’s family-based approach here.