Foster Care for 100 Orphan Children in India

Concept:

Millions of children live outside of family care and without the love and nurturing of family members. Research has shown repeatedly that children living outside of family care experience negative effects on their development and may be amongst the most that are susceptible to violence, abuse and exploitation.

Families are at the heart of our solution. A safe and caring family is what gives a child the most stable start and equips the child to live a fulfilling life. We work to support families who are at risk of separation, as a preventive approach by strengthening the families and provide a family to children who are deprived of it. We explore various Alternative Care options, which include Foster Care, Group Foster Care, Kinship Care, Aftercare, etc. We work with Government, child protection mechanism and strengthen community level service delivery structures.

YCDA considers that Foster care is the best option for the family and community to give care & protection who are in need .This care arrangement is the most beneficial and desirable environment for the healthy growth & development of a children.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.

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. Foster families should preferably have cultural, tribal and/or community identities that are similar to that of the child. There are two type of Foster care: One is family foster care where maximum two children are placed in a family & other one is Group Foster care where a group of 6 to 8 children including their biological children are placed in a family.

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 providing support to 500 CNCP children in kinship care, Foster care and Group foster care arrangement as per the best interest of the child.

Key Progress during the Period:

Promotion of Foster care:

During this period, Public Awareness & Campaign has been done for promoting Foster Care concept in Collaboration of with Child Welfare Committee & District Child Protection Unit In local mohatsav,Public meeting ,Stakeholders (ICDS superpisors,NGOs meetings,this concept has been popularised & reach out to more number of families for their suppot to children .Families have been identified & came forward to support a child in their loving & caring environment. The process of assessment ,selection is going on.

Monitorting visit & Need based support:

Time to time, social worker regularly visits the children, foster parents & counsel them. During the visit, the social workers interacted with the children independently of the physical presence of the parent so that the child feels free and confident to talk. Now children have improved in their education and freely express their feelings with us.Apart from that ,We are doing regular visit & counseling to the children & foster parents with the support of statutory bodies including  CWC & DCPU in the districts . All supported children are in family based care.These families provide them love & caring .They are now going to their new school regularly & access the basic needs i.e food,clothes,health checkup ,coathing classes,education materials & recreational items .Presently, children are preparing for the coming annual examination .In the mean time we are also strenthening the families & done family reunification to back the children to their own families.

Annual Meet with children & Parents

Every year Annual Meet has been organized in a child-friendly way.All our supported children get together & spend time t ogether with joy and happiness. In 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 and maintain relationship with their peers coming from different areas. Through this programme children enjoyed a lot by taking part in song, dance, differnet games &  learnt from each other’s by sharing their stories.

Training to Foster Parents:

The role of parents is critical in ensuring optimal child developmental outcomes and positive parenting is related to fewer behavioural problems during childhood as well as improved emotional and social competence. We trained them in their parenting skills & care is defined by parents themselves. In the training programme information is provided on health, nutrition & recreation which is useful to caregivers. The program is useful and effective in bringing out some positive changes in their knowledge and attitudes toward child nurturing. Now, the parents started to spend more time in various activities with their children comparing with their responses at the beginning programme.

Helloww…

Thanks for your support…

I am very happy to get a family. Now, I am going to school & tuition regularly .I have learnt so many new things. I met with my new friends with who play, read together. I want to become a teacher & help children like me to read & write properly.

Thanks to Supporters & GlobalGiving to bring hope to our life…

• YCDA_Progress Report on FosterCare-Dec to Feb-2020 (PDF)