Changing lives, one at a time!

Thank you for visiting our website!
For more then 15 years the Thai Child Development Foundation has made a difference in the lives of children in need. TCDF makes sure that children with special needs in rural areas also have acces to medical care and education.
TCDF is a grassroots organisation with headcourters and a forest school in the mountains of Paksong, Phato in Chumpon province, Thailand. All programs and activities at TCDF are sustainable and aimed towards self reliance. TCDF is able to support children in need thanks to the trust and support of many sponsors and visitors from all over the world. We hope to welcome you too some day soon!
what makes TCDF so awesome?

TCDF is the proud developer of the “Self sufficiency in Food & Finance for Foundations“ method!
At TCDF we are committed to securing TCDF’s support for children in need, but only for as long as they require. We don’t just give them “fish”. But we support them through education, teaching them not only how to make the fishing rod, but also how to find the find and fish the waters wisely! While we work towards creating self-reliance and independence for the kids, and we also create this for our foundation as an organization. We work to secure the foundation’s future by aiming for sustainability in both food & finance and limiting our current dependence on fundraising that TCDF, and most other foundations, rely on to function. We believe this is the future for foundations and we are the proud to be frontrunners and developers of the Self-sufficiency Method for Foundations!
We are:
- improving and systemizing our programs
- decreasing our daily life expenses
- increasing our self sustainability with the farm
- increasing our self generating income with the Holiday for Charity concept.

In TCDF’s social support programs, only our professional local Thai team members work with underprivileged children together with their daily life caregivers. We do not take children out of their homes; we help create a safe and suitable home in their own village/community if needed!
The Medical Care and Educational Project support individual children in their development towards a greater independence and better quality of life. At TCDF we believe that the social outreach work can only be done well by working with local people who can develop a long term bond of trust with the children and their caregivers through reliable and supportive communication in their own language.
TCDF has a fantastic team of dedicated local people who were trained step by step to work within and promote our values. Since 2004 TCDF is blessed to have strong ties in the local community by working together with all local schools and local healthcare institutions. The caregivers of the children in need are motivated to be involved as much as possible as they are the most important factor in the long-term care for their children. The parents and caregivers are also the Foundation’s best representatives as they see daily what a difference TCDF’s support is making in the development of their children! In addition to the effective support to the local community, TCDF has, over the last 15 years, built a great international network of amazing people who believe in the Foundation and the work we do. Most of these people have visited the project in Paksong and have seen what contribution in time and/or money (even small amounts) can provide long after they have left. They also see the donation is invested in a sustainable and honest way! Read more how TCDF is working towards self-sufficiency in both food AND finance in order to limit the reliance on donations!

The creation of a commercial sister organization, Eco-Logic Resort for Charity, working only with local, paid staff, and lots of support by ambassadors and volunteers from all over the world – sets us apart from other foundations because:
– we act locally but think globally
– it ensures that direct donations to TCDF always invested in the children, on our
projects and in the local community where we create jobs.
Important values at TCDF are:
- Support for underprivileged children as long as, but neverer longer than, needed.
- Support for underprivileged children will be on an individual level which can include the direct family and/ or daily caregivers of each child
- We take care of children in their own community, without taking them out of their homes
- Only reliable, local people work directly with the children in the social programs
- International and Thai volunteers contribute a real difference in the Community Learning Center, on the farm or in the International online community by spreading the word.
- We only hire local people that are reliable, responsible achievers, who share our vision and who will stay long term. We do not hire people because of their education or professional background.
- All team members are expected to be proactive and carry a high standard of personal responsibility in their tasks. We have no time, or desire, to supervise people with poor commitment or ambition.
- Honest, simple and direct support making use of local knowledge, projects, people and
institutions - All donations are used directly for the children in the maintenance of their programs
- We are not perfect, but we do our best, and we do whatever it takes! We act when it’s needed in support of the kids! We do not stop when a project is written out or the budget is secured. We start with whatever and whoever is available at the moment and we always work towards improvement.
- We are always open to positive feedback, new ideas and change.
- We try to limit damage to our environment. We are strict in handling garbage, reusing garbage, and recycling. We use vehicles, chemicals and electricity with conservation awareness.
- We treat all people with respect and tolerance. We welcome everybody, with good intentions, no matter what race, nationality, age, sex or religion they are.
We have a “4 people eyes” financial system for the expenses. Our finances are day to day, very specific and completely transparent to the public since 2004. All financial reports can be downloaded by clicking here.
In our reports and financial administration, it will show that TCDF:
- only pays local Thai staff to work directly with the children
- uses all donations support the underprivileged children in Foundation projects
- does not need to spend donations on overhead thanks to the support of our sister organization Eco-Logic, Resort for Charity

Our Kids, support as long as (but never longer then!)needed without taking the children out of their homes!
TCDF supports local children who fall outside the existing medical & educational system. We make sure that customized medical care and education is also available to underprivileged children and children with disabilities or learning disorders. These children are supported in the two project branches Medical Care & Education. Over the years we have trained local people step by step how to best support children on an individual base without taking the children out of there homes. We are providing customized care for each child in close cooperation with their parents or other daily life care givers, teachers and local healthcare providers. Our aim is to support the children in their development towards independance and strenght so they eventually don’t need us any more!


Do you have a volunteer spirit?
At TCDF we work local but we think global! The care for the children in need has only been possible thanks to the support of people from all over the world who have shared one skill or the other! Supporting TCDF from their homes or hands on at our forest school & ecological farm! We are always looking for volunteers who want to make a difference; join us now!

At TCDF only local people who stay long term and speak the same language should work with the children in the social support programs. However international volunteers can make all the difference too!
Volunteer online : volunteering right from your own home/ office by sharing a skill such as marketing, translations, accounting, grafic design, writing…..what ever special skill you have. We value your time so please email us to discuss the most urgent needs, our best match and your customized action plan within your own available time!
Voluntourism: Hands on helping the team on the farm and property of the forest school Paksong. Please note that volunteers do not work with special need children. Also we cannot use donations to pay for volunteer food and board so volunteers are asked to cover this themselves while staying in Paksong.

Support charity with a stay at our “one million star” riverside jungle retreat!

Holiday for charity
If you are looking for a fun, inspiring and undercrowded travel destination chosen with awareness then look no further! Eco-logic, resort for charity is a family-friendly nature& yoga retreat and is especially set up to support the foundation in a sustainable way.100% of the profit of a stay at the resort is donated towards the foundation! We hope you visit us soon!

Support charity new style
There are many ways to make a difference!
A donation -in time or money, no matter how big or small! – can work long after it was given. But only if the donation is used in a sustainable way. There are many ways you can support TCDF and make it a win-win situation too!