Building a Bright Future for Children

In Cambodia, early childhood education is severely lacking. Kindergartens are neither free nor easily accessible – many families simply can't afford daycare for their children. That’s why it’s so important for us to offer a free, high-quality alternative.

Our goal is to provide children with a loving and enriching environment before they start school, giving them the best possible foundation for their educational journey.

Since February 2021, we’ve been building our own ICF Daycare. Because there is no formal training for early childhood educators in Cambodia, we intentionally started small. We began by focusing on a small group of children–only the children of our staff – and trained three team members step by step in early childhood education.

Together, we developed our first educational concept, created a daily routine, and designed activities like playtime, crafts, sports, and more. All of this took place in a safe and supportive setting, allowing us to gain practical experience and prepare our team well.

A New Milestone in 2025:

We’ve now taken a big step forward – since 2025, we’re not only caring for ICF staff children but also welcoming the first sponsored children from our Child Sponsorship Program. Currently, our daycare serves 25 children between the ages of 1 and 6!

Our big dream is to create a dedicated daycare space on our new campus where all sponsored children and staff kids can grow, learn, and play together.

It all started with Covid – our Study Groups

In June 2020, when schools shut down due to the pandemic, it hit children from very poor families especially hard. Without access to online learning, many quickly fell behind – some even had to start working to support their families.

To counter this, we launched our Study Groups in local villages. Teenagers from our program gave tutoring sessions in core subjects several afternoons a week. This helped younger children catch up in school while giving the teens valuable teaching experience. The small stipend they received from ICF was a lifeline for many families, as the collapse of tourism wiped out most sources of income.

The next big step: Our After-School Program

In January 2022 – when schools finally reopened – we took our Study Groups to the next level and launched our After-School Program for primary school students from grades 1 to 6.

By 2025, around 160 registered children attend the program four days a week from 1:00 to 5:00 PM on our campus. During the first two hours, they receive lessons in Math and Khmer – taught by our committed and enthusiastic University Scholarship Students (more info below).

From 3:00 to 5:00 PM, the children follow their learning plans and take part in additional activities like sports, games, creative workshops, music, and even Bible class.

Why is this so important?

Because many students drop out of school later on – usually between grades 7 and 9. The reason? In their early years, they couldn’t keep up due to overcrowded classrooms, a lack of teachers, and the challenges of the Khmer language.

This is exactly where we step in. We help children build a strong foundation – for a brighter future!