IACN, in collaboration with UNICEF, is organising a learning session on kinship care on 15 September, from 4:30 p.m to 6: 00 p.m. In this session, speakers and organisations will discuss their interventions on kinship care in diverse contexts in India. Additionally, a researcher from Ghana will share the findings of a qualitative study on the experiences of children and caregivers in kinship care. Please see below for details of the session.
Session Name: Learning session on kinship care
Date and time: 15 September, 4:30 p.m to 6:00 p.m
Registration link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ddKOtQe3QiGiO23I34o6bA
Context: Every child has the need and right to thrive in a safe and nurturing family. COVID-19 has left a significant number of children without parents and caregivers, highlighting the importance of prioritising family-based care for children. In many cases, extended families and friends are already extending care to these children in their families, also known as kinship care. Kinship care is a widely used practise across India and a preferred option for children without adequate parental care, and as an informal cultural practice, it comes naturally to kind. Yet, there is little documentation available on kinship care in India. Though children share positive outcomes and a sense of belongingness in kinship care, there are also instances of neglect, discrimination and exploitation. Caregivers underscore financial difficulties, the need for capacity building, and the lack of support services and mechanisms to respond to the needs of the children adequately. The absence of support limits the caregivers from providing quality care and extending and continuing the care arrangement despite their willingness to do so. To ensure better outcomes for children in kinship care in India, there is a need to build an understanding of the experiences of children and caregivers and deliberate on the role of the State, CSOs, and communities to support kinship care.
The webinar aims to share some experiences of kinship care practices in India and the findings of a research study on kinship care in Ghana.
Speakers: The session will feature the following topics and speakers:
- Understanding experiences of children and caregivers on kinship care in Ghana
Alhassan Abdullah, PhD Scholar at Hong Kong University
- Enabling community support systems for kinship care in the backdrop of migration in the rural districts of Maharashtra
Alpa Vora, Child Protection Specialist, UNICEF Field Office, Maharashtra
- Kinship care in the context of reintegration of children from CCIs back into their families and prioritising kinship care for children who have lost parent/s and caregivers to COVID-19 -
Anjali Sood, Manager, Family Strengthening and Family-Based Alternative Care Initiatives, Miracle Foundation India
- Facilitating linkages to State scheme on kinship care (Balak Mata Pita) in Gujarat
Shilpa Vaishnav, Samvedana Trust
We hope to have an interactive session and encourage you to please send any questions that you may have for our speakers in advance to iacnsecretariat@gmail.com.
