Child Protection India Project #19906

Safe care and adoption for Indian Babies

by Snehalaya 'Home of Love'

Safe care and adoption for Indian Babies

Project Report | Jan 9, 2026
Happy new year

By Dr Girish Kulkarni | Founder

Preparing stockings for all

Happy new year and thank you for everything you do for us and our children.

The Christmas holidays are a great time at Snehalaya as we welcome visitors and volunteers from across the globe to our Rehab Center. This year saw another full house as we welcomed visitors from the USA, Netherladns and UK.

Among them were one of our American families with their adopted daughter from our Snehankur project. They chose to bring their daughter back to celebrate Christmas at her original home. It was amazing to see our little girl all grown up with a broad American accent. Still fondly remembered by our Snehalaya children she was given the VIP treatment by all, especially her former caregiver, Savita. We were also heartened to hear first-hand from the family how her HIV status is managed confidentially and sensitively in the US, giving us hope for future adoptions of children living with HIV. In fact, the family are already planning for a second adoption of another little girl, hopefully also from our adoption center.

During their time here all our volunteers threw themselves into our holiday preparations and celebrations. They were a great help in preparing Christmas stockings for around 250 of our women and children (including the youngsters at our adoption center), gift wrapping, bicycle construction and so many more tasks in a very organized manner backed by a suitably festive playlist. We truly couldn’t have done it without them!

As we enter the new year, we have already seen another international adoption of one our older girls who is now en route to start her life with her new Italian family.

Thank you for your support in giving our babies the best start in life and helping us to find them new families.

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Oct 28, 2025
How your support helps

By Dr Girish Kulkarni | Founder

A new family for our siblings

Thank you for your support which sometimes helps in ways none of us can predict!

In a remarkable story of hope, resilience and the transformative power of love, two orphaned siblings, 6 year old Kush and 12 year old, Lav (names changed), have found their forever family in Italy, thanks to the dedicated efforts of our Snehankur adoption center. Their journey from hardship to happiness will inspire many and highlights the critical need for family reunification and adoption initiatives worldwide.

A Childhood Marked by Struggles & Loss

Kush and Lav hail from a remote village in the district of Ahiliyanagar (formerly Ahmednagar). Their estranged father abandoned the family when the mother was diagnosed with a chronic, contagious disease. Despite hardship, the children selflessly cared for their mother for the last four years of her life, providing her with love and support until her passing in 2022.

Following their mother's death, the children were reunited with their father but faced neglect and abuse from their stepmother, compounded by their father's substance abuse. Unable to endure the hostile environment, Kush and Lav ran away from home. Their disappearance sparked an extensive two-month search conducted by our Snehankur team, involving police assistance and efforts across districts like Beed, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Pune and Jalgaon. The children were eventually traced to a religious asylum.

Restoration & Legal Procedures

Understanding the deep trauma and the complex circumstances surrounding Kush and Lav, we worked tirelessly to assess the situation, ensure the children's safety and explore options for their wellbeing. After careful deliberation, the children’s biological father, recognizing the importance of providing a stable environment, voluntarily relinquished his parental rights before the Child Welfare Committee at Ahilyanagar in November 2022.

This legal process paved the way for Kush and Lav’s new beginning. The center’s loving and secure environment gave the siblings a renewed sense of trust and belonging, nurturing their emotional recovery.

A Bright Future in Italy

Today, Kush and Lav are no longer just children of hardship—they are children of hope. Lav excelled academically at Snehankur's English Medium School, where he is known as a bright, talented student. Kush, known for his playful and cheerful nature, was the most lively child in the pre-primary class at the center.

On 16 September, an adoption ceremony was held, following Indian traditions, to formalize their adoption. The event, attended by distinguished guests, including members of the government child protection offices, adoption advocates and social workers committed to the cause of child welfare and other notable dignitaries, saw the children embraced by their new parents - both doctors of Indian heritage.

Thank you so much for ensuring we are there for children like these, we couldn't fdo it without you.

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May 1, 2025
Bonne chance

By Dr Girish Kulkarni | Founder

Handing over

Thanks to your support, we are pleased to announce our latest international adoption. Eight-year-old Janvi (name changed) has been united with her French adoptive family and will be travelling to Europe to start her new life.

Janvi was admitted to our Snehankur Adoption Center in 2021 after the unfortunate death of her birth mother resulted in her neglect and abuse. She was found crying and pleading to God by a priest at Vitthal Temple, he immediately contacted our team. On reaching the girl, our Snehankur team took note of the wounds on her face and body. When they started trying to find out more about her situation and her home and village she was so paralyzed with fear she fainted. Many wounds were visible on her body, including two missing teeth. Our team immediately took her to a doctor where she was treated to alleviate her pain. We then referred her to the Child Welfare Committee who admitted her to Snehankur for her care and protection.

After many months of searching we finally found her family. It was then that the full impact of what Janvi had experienced came to light. Following her birth mother's death, her father remarried and the stepmother he brought home started to beat Janvi mercilessly. The very first night she was there she beat Janvi so hard, she knocked out her teeth. Her father impotently watched the entire scene as his daughter was beaten mercilessly with a stick. Abandoned by her family and in fear of her life, quick-thinking Janvi managed to escape the house, wandering barefoot through wilderness until she reached the temple.

Our team counselled and convinced her parents that if they considered the girl to be a burden, they should make her legally free for adoption. They agreed and Janvi was admitted to our care while she awaited adoption, enrolling in the Snehalaya English Medium School. She soon proved herself to be excellent in her studies, sports and arts.

Unfortunately, due to her missing teeth and advanced age, we were unable to find Indian adoptive parents so she was freed for international adoption. Seeing her profile, a compassionate and affluent couple from France showed willingness to adopt her. With all the legal procedures for international adoption completed, Janvi's parents have come to Snehalaya to take her home to France. Janvi is excited about her new future and family, saying: "God saves those whom He wishes to save" and "Everything happens for good".

We wish the brave girl and caring family a bright and happy future and thank you for everything you do to ensure girls like Janvi have brighter futures.

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