Strengthening Family Care in India

Dear Friend, 

You subscribed to email updates from Strengthening Family Care in India by Hope and Homes for Children, a project on GlobalGiving. 

Thanks to your generous support, we are starting 2026 with real momentum — deepening partnerships, influencing policy, and moving ever closer to a future where every child in India grows up in a safe, loving family. 

Here's a snapshot of our progress January to March 2026. 

Supporting Change at the National Level 

Your support is helping us work at the highest levels of India's child protection system. We have been actively engaging with UNICEF India under our Knowledge Partnership MoU, meeting with the Head of Child Protection to align our plans and make sure our efforts complement each other — avoiding duplication and maximising impact for children. 

We are also playing a key role in the India Alternative Care Network (IACN), participating in Core Group meetings to integrate strategies on family strengthening and non-institutional care into national thinking. And we are continuing to mentor the Care Leaver Advocacy Network of South Asia (CLANSA), ensuring that the voices of young people with lived experience of care remain central to everything we do. One care leaver from India has now been selected to join the Task Force on Global Care Reform — a powerful step forward for youth-led advocacy. 

Transforming Child Care in Odisha 

Odisha is emerging as a key state for care reform, and your support is helping drive that change. In these two months alone, we have: 

• Drafted the Odisha Care Reform Strategy Framework, which has been submitted to UNICEF Odisha for review before being shared with the Odisha State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (OSCPCR). 

• Met with the Chairperson of the OSCPCR, who requested a concept note on transitioning children from institutions (CCIs) to family and foster care — a clear sign that decision-makers are ready to act. 

• Held meetings with High Court judges and senior government officials in preparation for a landmark learning exchange later this year. This visit will give judges and officials first-hand experience of what a family care system looks like in practice. 

• Met with the Director of the Women and Children's Department to discuss how we can work with UNICEF to strengthen non-institutional care approaches across the state. 

Building a Stronger System in Jharkhand 

In Jharkhand, the foundations we have been laying are bearing fruit. The Jharkhand Cabinet approved revised Mission Vatsalya Guidelines in January — formally incorporating the care reform approaches we helped pilot, including community-level Child Protection Committees. These guidelines are now being rolled out in additional districts, and we are actively advocating for their adoption in other states. 

We are also working with the State Child Protection Society and civil society partners to establish a working group and training plan for Child Welfare and Protection Committee guidelines — ensuring frontline workers have the skills to protect children and keep families together. And in Khunti and Ranchi, we have begun a study on the status of aftercare services, to better understand and address the needs of young people leaving care. 

Growing Partnerships for Greater Impact 

None of this is possible without strong partnerships, and we have been investing in those relationships. We attended our partner ‘CINI's’ Foundation Day in Kolkata, deepening our relationship with this important civil society partner as they expand their child protection work into Bihar and Tripura. 

Looking Ahead 

The coming months are filled with opportunity. We will: 

• Finalise and share the Odisha Care Reform Strategy Framework with the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights. 

• Support the learning exchange, helping Odisha's judges and senior officials experience best practice in family care first-hand. 

• Advance the Jharkhand training cascade on Child Welfare and Protection guidelines, building the capacity of frontline workers across the state. 

• Launch the aftercare study in Ranchi and Khunti to better support care leavers. 

Why This Matters 

Every child deserves a safe, nurturing family — not an institution. Your support is helping us influence policy, build systems, and change the lives of some of India's most vulnerable children. From cabinet-level guidelines in Jharkhand to courtroom conversations in Odisha, the ripple effects of your generosity reach further than you might imagine. 

You can help us reach even more children by sharing and supporting our campaign: Back to Family 

A Note from Our Team 

We are grateful for every donation and every act of support. The road ahead is ambitious, but with partners like you, we know systemic change is possible. Thank you for standing with us — and with the children and families at the heart of this work. 

With gratitude, Mark Riley Senior Programmes Lead, Hope and Homes for Children India 

Links:

• Discover our Families First project with our partner CINI.