Reshaping Child Protection in the Philippines
In his closing remarks after GCA’s recent training in Manila, Teodulo “Kuya Ted” Romo - former Head of Aftercare for IJM Manila, said:
“This is a big deal… you’ve unleashed a powerful force that will reshape child protection in this country.”
He wasn’t just speaking about a training. He was affirming a movement - one that is now gaining extraordinary momentum across the Philippines.
The Framework for Family Engagement: GCA’s Model, God’s Design
For too long, institutional shelters have been considered the safest response for survivors of abuse, trafficking, and exploitation. But research, and even more powerfully, survivors and care leavers themselves, tell a different story: children heal in relationships, not systems.
That’s why Global Child Advocates (GCA) developed the Framework for Family Engagement (FFE), a practical, trauma-informed roadmap to help caseworkers explore a child’s network of safe relatives and trusted adults, evaluate those relationships for safety, and empower families to provide lasting care.
FFE is a practitioner’s guide to restoring children to safety, belonging, and healing, rooted in evidence-based practice and God’s design for family.
Unprecedented Momentum
What’s happening now in the Philippines is far greater than we anticipated. Key national leaders - including DSWD, NACC, IJM Philippines, and the Philippines Survivor Network - have aligned with urgency and unity around one shared conviction: children belong in families.
These leaders are preparing to embed FFE into national protocols for aftercare. That kind of early buy-in signals a transformational shift in how the country will protect survivors of Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children (OSAEC).
A Trailblazing Partnership
This kind of scale is only possible because of powerful partnerships, each playing critical roles:
Austin Ridge Bible Church (ARBC) brought in GCA and has generously funded the consulting partnership:
GCA designed the FFE framework and created the new Family Engagement Specialist role to pilot the approach
IJM PH recruited and hired the FES and established kinship care as their national aftercare strategy
Jessa Lazarte, who stepped into the role, promoted FFE to key leaders at DSWD who quickly decided it was the missing piece in their national child protection strategy
Because IJM holds deep trust with DSWD, NACC, and local government units, the impact has multiplied quickly. In just one year:
Children who would have remained in shelters have been placed with safe family
Caseworkers are confidently using FFE tools
Government agencies are moving toward nationwide adoption
What’s Next
In April 2026, GCA Director Ashlee Heiligman will return to the Philippines to lead the first Training of Trainers (ToT) for FFE. Leaders from government agencies and local units will be equipped to scale this model across the country.
And that’s just the beginning.
We believe this movement will open doors for regional ToT’s in East Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America, helping more countries reimagine child protection through the lens of family and healing.
Thank you to GCA Supporters and Partners
Your generosity and faithfulness are sowing into a movement that is changing the narrative for children around the world. We are truly grateful for your trust, prayers, and partnership!
If you’re new to GCA, you can join the movement!
Your support can help create lasting safety and hope-filled futures for children.
Ashlee with Jessa Lazarte and Shechem Family Social Worker
“Finally, some interactive and practical tools that place child participation at the center. Can't wait to share and apply them.
Huge thanks to Ashlee Heiligman Global Child Advocates International Justice Mission DSWD Social Technology Bureau” - Mhike Palanca, National Authority for Child Care
