The Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation announced that it was looking for caregivers for eight orphans who are living at the National Maternal and Child Health Centre (NMCHC) and Battambang Orphanage Centre I in Battambang province.

Four of the eight children are disabled, according to a March 9 notice from the ministry released this past week.

The ministry’s General Department of Technical Affairs director-general Touch Channy said that it was not unusual for them to announce the availability of children for adoption and they are now checking all of the application forms submitted to the ministry.

“When we have children to be adopted, we notify the public so people know about it and whether they wish to adopt the children. The reason why the ministry has always announced adoptions is because when children have no relatives we must look for guardians or foster parents for them to take care of them.

“But after the ministry does its best to inform the public, if no one comes forward to care for them then the ministry will take the children to [orphanages],” he continued.

Channy said that, in 2022, five children were adopted, while this year only one child has been adopted so far.

The notice states that anyone with Cambodian citizenship who is interested in adopting children should apply with the children protection department of the ministry.