Foster Care for 100 Orphan Children in India

The Concept

Foster care is a system of non-institutional family-based care under which a child lives with a family other than his/her biological family. This happens when a child is without biological family or with family that is incapable of providing care. Foster families should preferably have cultural, tribal and/or community identities that are similar to that of the child.

The system of foster care is meant for children in need of care and protection. Keeping in view the needs of a child, foster care may be of short or long duration. While short-term foster care is for a period not exceeding one year, long-term foster care exceeds one year and can be extended periodically till the child attains 18 years of age.

In Foster Care arrangement there are two options namely Individual Foster Care and Group foster care. The first Option refers to the care of a child under a foster family, as is defined above. Group foster care (GFC), on the other hand, is ‘a family-like care in a fit facility for children in need of care and protection who are without parental care’. The system provides personalized parental care in a family-like environment to a group of unrelated children in a community setting. According to JJ Rules 2016, the number of children in a group foster care unit should not exceed eight children, including biological children of the foster caregiver.

YCDA has initiated the Alternatives Form of Child Care programme focusing on care and protection of the children through community based rehabilitation and family focused alternative care arrangements to ensure the best interest of the children since 2007 in Boudh ,Bolangir & Khurda district in the partnership of SKN, The Netherlands. YCDA plays a pioneer role in promoting non-institutional care in the State like Odisha through community centric childcare. I.e. Kinship Care, Foster Care/Group foster Care and independent living.

We are concerned that each child is different and we need to see each as an individual case with distinct life history and a unique set of current circumstances. The fact is that a child has not reached a particular developmental stage that is average for his or her age may be, but is not necessarily an indicator of neglect, trauma or abuse, rather there can be different routes to encourage it and support the development of their potential through a proper plan or individual care plan.

In addition to this, for the proper implementation of the programme, YCDA now is supporting the children with small individual donation.

YCDA Foster Care Programme

YCDA started the Foster care & Group foster care initiative for the first time in the state of Odisha after due lunching of ICPS. YCDA is now supporting more than 100 children in Foster care & Group Foster Care in Boudh, Balangir & Khurda districts of Odisha.

The objective of the programme is to provide a temporary, safe, stable and nurturing family life experience for a child when the child’s family is unable to provide. YCDA considers that Foster care is the best option for the family and community to give care and protection who need of care and protection and the care arrangement is the most beneficial and desirable environment for the healthy growth and development of a children.

Child Welfare Committee (CWC) and District Child Protection Unit (DCPU) monitor both the arrangements.

During the implementation of family based care arrangement YCDA has been rehabilitated more than 500 CNCP in Foster care and Group foster care arrangement as per the best interest of the child.

YCDA Support system During the Period:

¬Promotion of  Foster Care /Group Foster Care:

During this period , 3 nos. of Foster Homes & Group foster homes have been set up in both Boudh Bolangir & Khurda districts where new 8 identified/selected children for foster care have got a family based care. They are being well taken care of by their respective foster parents. Their education has been ensured and they are going to school regularly they access the basic rights like food clothes and shelter, going to tuition, meeting with their biological parents, developing hygienic practices like wearing slippers while going out, washing hands before food and after defecation and so on. We are hopeful of enhancing the no. of the  children and such homes. Such initiatives are the first of their kind in the entire state. We have planned to go ahead in placing more and more vulnerable/parentless/CNCPs  in family based care arrangements by creating more and more no. of foster homes with the support of statutory bodies like CWC, DCPU, JJB, SJPU and other govt. officials

¬Need Based Support:

To assess the development of supported children, YCDA staffs visit to all 100 children along with a structured tool. The Village Child Protection Committee, particular child and community participate in the process. It helps to the team to learn the impact of support, challenges, and thereafter take appropriate action. 100 children were assessed to continue to get need based kind support. The family’s situation gets reviewed in quarterly basis and the action plan is made as per their need. Children need the necessary support for survival, such as food packets, health care, educational materials ,clothes, shoes, psychosocial support and economic self-sufficiency. During this period, YCDA has been provided the Medicine support, Education study materials, school bags, tuition fees, food packets, dresses, and sweaters as per the needs of the supported children.

¬Family Visit & Counseling Support:

Individual care plan of a child is most important tool to develop a comprehensive plan for every child living in different care arrangements, though we know that the need of every child is different. As per the best interest of the child project staff assess the vulnerability, counsel the child and caregivers interact with different stakeholders and prepare a realistic care plan. Every plan must be tailored to meet the needs of the individual child; all plans should include a common focus on some key issues of the children.

 During the period, we have been made 100 Individual Care plan of the 100 children as focus made on need and best interest of the children and submitted before child Welfare Committee in the district.100 Children are getting the counseling support in regular basis, the individual counseling impacts on the children resulted to make the children regular in school and helps the children to come out from the depression& traumatic situation. Follow up visit and monitoring is the major part of the program to strengthen the system. The social worker regularly visits the children, care givers and counseled them. All the 100 children are in family based care.The social worker supervised their academic progress records and discusses with the parents. The children are going to schools and tuition regularly. During the visit various challenges are identified and prepared the safety majors.

¬A Campaign on Why Family Matters for Every Child:

Taking 120 families & children a campaign was organized during this year in collaboration with DCPU/CWC and other statutory bodies. The objective of the programme was to sensitize to the community stakeholders on why family matters for every child and what are the various options available in the ICPS and JJ system. Various govt. officials including the DCPU.CWC, JJB, CCIs and district administrative have been invited to understand the concept of why family matters for every child and to prepare them for the sponsorship so that the children can have the family based care. The DCPU.CWC,JJB, CCIs and district administrative have been invited to understand the concept of why family matters for every child and to prepare them for the sponsorship so that the children can have the family based care.

¬Annual Meet with Children & Stakeholders :

Every year Annual event with Children & stakeholders is organized in a child-friendly way. All our supported children get together & spend time together with joy and happiness.Through this programme, we normally take utmost care to create a child-friendly atmosphere where children can enjoy to the fullest, provide a platform where children can showcase their potentiality,  talents, and inner skills. This is the platform where children get opportunity to learn many new things relating to their rights and protection that enables t hem to know each other and maintain relationship with their peers coming from different areas. Through this programme children enjoyed a lot by taking part in song, dance, creative art, learnt from each other’s and also shared their experiences and threats.Around 253 key stakeholders in the districts i.e Child Protection committee, Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRI) members, District Child Protection Unit, Teachers, Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs), Angan Wadi Workers (AWWs) ,Caregivers and other persons of the community have attended the programme.

Hii….

I am very much happy that I got a new family and this is my little sister. We play, Learn and go to school Together. I love my family very Much.

Thanks to Supporters & Global giving to bring hope to our life…

Let’s join hands …..To ensure every child live in a loving and caring family

• YCDA Foster Care Progress Report Dec-18 to Feb-19 (PDF)