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 has 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 Program:  

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  Arrangement:

During this period, with legal procedures 3 more nos. of Foster family has been finalized and 5 children have placed in these families. 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 needs like food, clothes ,shelter & education . We are doing regular counseling to the children, carers & also biological parents.

We are providing a family based care arrangements to the Children in need of care & protection with the support of statutory bodies like CWC & DCPU in the districts.

¬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, Education study materials, school bags, tuition fees, food packets & dresses, as per the needs of the supported children.

¬Family Visit & Counseling Support:

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& families are getting the counseling support in regular basis, the individual counseling impactson the children resulted to make the children regular in school and helps the children to come out from the depression& traumatic situation.

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.

¬Monitoring Visit to the Family:

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. Time to time along with YCDA ,Child welfare committee & District child Protection unit are also going for monitored to assessed the progress & safety of the children .As per the progress report they renewed the care arrangement for next one year.

Our life …Our story....

We are very much happy to got a new family & living together. We Play, Learn and go to school together. We love our father & mother very much as they give us love & affection.They fulfill our needs all the time.

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 Progress Report on Foster Care Program (PDF)