Our Story
Fortifying Families of Indonesia is a nonprofit dedicated to ensuring every child in Indonesia grows up in a safe, loving family. Founded by John and Amanda Laughrey, FFI grew out of years spent living and serving alongside children and care givers in orphanages in Indonesia.
While volunteering at an orphanage for nearly four years, Amanda was heartbroken to witness nearly all the children she was caring for still had families who wanted them. They were separated due to poverty and difficult circumstances rather than death and abandonment. She later discovered this was not an anomaly. In fact, 90% of all children living in orphanages in Indonesia still have living parents.
Amanda, still clinging to her lifelong dream to have an orphanage and be “Mother Teresa of Indonesia”, set out to start an orphanage but to do it “better”. She teamed up with a group of trusted, passionate Indonesians to found a children’s home of their own where they only took in true orphans and raised them as much like normal children in a home as possible. She served as a house parent in that children’s home for seven years, later joined by John.
Over time, however, John and Amanda came to realize the detriments of long-term institutionalized care to the overall wellbeing of children. No matter how good an institution may be, children were made to thrive in a home with a family where they can receive individual attention, affection, and have a sense of belonging, security, and identity.
This realization led them to sacrifice their personal dreams of having their own orphanage in order to dedicate their lives to what mattered more—what’s in the best interest of each individual Indonesian child. They are now full-time advocates—coming alongside organizations to strengthen families and Indonesian child welfare systems. Today, they collaborate with global leaders such as Strengthening Families and Children (SFAC), Faith to Action, Family First Framework (FFF), and others to support and train care providers, strengthen families, and help develop pathways for family reintegration, foster care, and adoption.
Why Indonesia?
Indonesia has become our home, our community, and the place where we have built relationships with children, families, caregivers, churches, and organizations over many years.
Through those relationships, we have seen both the incredible strengths within Indonesian communities and the challenges that can place children at risk of family separation. While many people assume children living in residential care have no family, many have parents or relatives who care deeply for them but face difficult circumstances.
We believe the most effective solutions already exist within Indonesian communities. By supporting local leaders, strengthening partnerships, and sharing resources and knowledge, we hope to contribute to a future where more children can grow up safely within families and connected to their communities, culture, and identity.
Our Vision
A future in which every Indonesian child has the opportunity to grow up in a safe, loving family where they have a sense of belonging and can thrive.
Our mission
We unite and equip Indonesian leaders to fortify families and strengthen child welfare systems so every child can thrive.
How We Work
We serve as a bridge between people, organizations, and resources that share a common goal of strengthening children and families.
We accomplish this by:
Connecting organizations with one another and with potential partners.
Sharing resources, research, and practical tools.
Supporting leaders through consultation and collaboration.
Encouraging knowledge-sharing between organizations and communities.
Helping build networks that strengthen long-term support systems for children and families.
We believe lasting change happens when communities are empowered to build on their own strengths rather than depend on outside solutions.
What Makes Our Approach Different
We believe the most effective solutions are often found within local communities themselves.
Because of this, we do not seek to replace Indonesian leadership or dictate how communities should operate. Instead, we come alongside local government, child care organizations, faith communities, care providers, and leaders as partners.
Our role is to listen, learn, encourage, and support.
We believe sustainable change is built through relationships, collaboration, and empowering those who know their communities best.
What We Don’t Do
To keep our mission focused, we do not operate orphanages, place children into homes, or provide direct child welfare services.
Instead, we support and strengthen the leaders, organizations, churches, and communities already serving children and families throughout Indonesia.
Our role is to connect, equip, encourage, and advocate—helping local partners build sustainable solutions that fit their communities.
We focus on supporting and strengthening the organizations and leaders who are already serving children and families throughout Indonesia.