Unpacking the complexities of child well-being in Southeast Asia: Insights for social policy

Abstract

The body of knowledge related to child well-being in Southeast Asia is sketchy and preliminary. Using standardized Z-scores, we computed the child well-being index (CWI) to observe how well 11 Southeast Asian countries take care of children. The overall result shows most countries in this region have “less” to “moderate” performance in terms of CWI realization. An exception is given to Singapore, which has achieved a higher degree of CWI. Further analysis on “child well-being regimes” suggests that examined countries have been combining productive and protective models with more emphasis on the former. The explanation for the low level of CWI and pervasive characteristic of productivism may rest on moral argumentation, in which child well-being is constructed as an intimate and private area. Public provisions to regulate child well-being, consequently, remain hidden behind the family unit as objects rather than subjects of social policy. Tied to low-performance countries, we call for generous welfare programs to support low-income families and intensified effort for the provision of quality education, healthcare, and basic facilities in order to enhance the well-being of children.