When families face hardship whether due to poverty, illness, or crisis—they often feel that placing their child in an orphanage is their only option. Yet most children in institutions are not orphans; they have families who love them but lack the resources to care for them. Without intervention, many families are forced apart simply because they do not have access to the support they need.

The Active Family and Community Support (AFCS) model was designed to prevent this by stepping in early, identifying families at risk, and providing alternatives and tools for their situation before separation occurs.

Developed and delivered in partnership with trained community volunteers, AFCS works alongside specialist social workers and health professionals to provide emergency assistance, economic support, parenting workshops, and peer support networks.

By strengthening families and shifting the focus away from institutional care, AFCS helps keep children where they belong a safe home with their families.

 During Uganda’s COVID-19 lockdowns, this community-led approach proved vital. Families facing heightened risks received urgent assistance quickly and effectively, ensuring children were not unnecessarily placed in care.

AFCS also plays a crucial role in family reintegration, supporting children to return home safely when possible. Where reunification is not an option, we identify, train, and approve foster and adoptive families, ensuring children have the stability and care they need.

At the same time, institutions are being repurposed into community hubs, offering essential social services such as early childhood education, vocational training, and parenting support to strengthen families and prevent future separation.

But AFCS is more than just a response to immediate crises it builds long-term resilience. By equipping parents with financial literacy and business skills, families can achieve economic independence, reducing the risk of future separation.

Through community ownership, AFCS creates networks of care where families look out for one another, fostering a culture where child protection is everyone’s responsibility.

This model is transforming child protection from the ground up. Families once facing crisis are now stable and self-sufficient. Communities are taking ownership of child protection, embedding support into daily life. More children are growing up in safe, loving families where they can thrive.

By working alongside government and grassroots networks, AFCS is building a collaborative, sustainable child protection system that ensures no family has to face hardship alone.