Mother & Baby Home

8.4% of Thai women are likely to experience postpartum depression [2].

45 births per 1,000 adolescent females aged 15-19 [3].

10 mothers currently receiving support at the Home.

Opened in 1972, the Mother and Baby Home (locally known as Baan Sukruthai) offers a temporary refuge for women from all parts of Thailand. Currently supporting 10 mothers, the Home provides accommodation, nourishing food, and other personal necessities to mothers and their children until they are able to return to their homes (if possible) or stand on their own. At the Home, women gain vital knowledge including sex education, basic healthcare, and an understanding of child development.

The women at the home have access to professional health care staff, including doctors and nurses, who volunteer their services on a weekly basis.

Mental health support is another essential element of the care the Sisters provide. Women participate in a program tailored to helping them overcome the traumatic experiences of their past and develop a new, positive outlook on life.

Sister Chalaad and the Good Shepherd Sisters support women in need regardless of their circumstances.

Below: Mothers and children enjoy playtime at the Home; a child who is cared for while their mother attends training.

“The girls and women who come to us are the poorest of the poor and have no one to turn to. They do not know how to care for themselves. There are few pregnancies today among the youth because they [now] know how to protect themselves. It is not a problem as [it was] before, now they can attend school and even university during pregnancy.”

The Mother & Baby Home serves to:

• Support mothers during pregnancy with practical and emotional support, providing a safe space for mother and baby, especially those at risk of abuse and in need of shelter.

• Save and promote the value of life and human dignity.

• Help mothers and children who have been affected by domestic violence have a safe place to turn to and be able to start a new life.

• Reduce the risk of HIV/AIDS transmission from mother to child.

The work of Sister Chalaad and the Good Shepherd Sisters is critical to the health and ongoing well-being of the mothers and babies that find themselves in need of support. The cost of running the Mother & Baby Home is $67,700 per year, or $203,100 over the next three years. Please consider how you can stand with Sister Chalaad and the Good Shepherd Sisters to ensure they are able to continue providing this vital care.

for up to 15