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, the organization emerged from years of firsthand experience within Jakarta’s orphanage system.

While volunteering at an orphanage, Amanda learned that an estimated 90% of children in residential care have living parents—often separated due to poverty and difficult circumstances rather than abandonment.

In response, Amanda became a house parent, later joined by John. Through this experience, they witnessed both the deep dedication of caregivers and the complex challenges within institutional care.

Over time, this led them into full-time advocacy—coming alongside organizations to strengthen care and expand family-based options. Today, they partner with global leaders such as Strengthening Families and Children (SFAC) to support and train care providers, improve quality of care, and help develop pathways for family reintegration, foster care, and adoption.

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 strive to empower the Indonesian people to fortify their families by:

  1. Advocating nationally for family care;

  2. Uniting faith-based institutions, child-care organizations, government entities, communities, and individuals around the vision;

  3. Equipping organizations with practical, culturally relevant knowledge and skills to strengthen and reunify families, prevent family separation, and develop safe foster and adoptive services as a last alternative.

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.

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 help clarify our role, Fortifying Families of Indonesia:

  • Does not operate orphanages or residential care facilities.

  • Does not directly place children into foster or adoptive homes.

  • Does not provide direct child welfare services.

  • Does not impose foreign solutions on Indonesian communities.

  • Does not take credit for or slap our name on to those we work with.

We focus on supporting and strengthening the organizations and leaders who are already serving children and families throughout Indonesia.