Driving in a Child Protection Network: The Study of Nongprue Town Municipallity Banglamung District Chonburi Province

Abstract

This research aims to study the components of child protection systems, which direct the actions of child protection networks. Furthermore, the research intents to examine the problems, and obstacles of the Nongprue town municipality's child protection network, Banglamung district, Chonburi province, by using the qualitative research method. The data were collected through an in-depth interview of 15 members of the Nongprue town municipality's child protection network, Banglamung district, Chonburi province. The interviewed members were from the public and private sectors, as well as volunteering youths. The research found that the following components are the driving forces behind child protection networks; 1) Child protection policies according to the strategic framework of the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security; 2) Mechanisms to provide protection to children and youth within 19 institutions; 3) A process to develop management skills, and knowledge relating to child protection; 4) A mechanism to coordinate on a municipal-level according to the guidelines of child protection systems; 5) A mechanism to inspect child protection operations, using a report-base system combine with child protections provided by the multidisciplinary team; 6) A cycle of child-care system in the form of preventative measures and protective measures; 7) Youths taking part in their local child protection systems. All these components led to the creation of a network as well as the 3 driving forces behind the network: 1) the management of the network; 2) The development of the network; 3) The maintenance of the network. However, 2 problems were identified: 1) The network has no basic information database; 2) the network lacks participation of members in following–up and evaluating the network's child protection activities.