Foster care finally comes for children in India

Sobhana K Nair - Bangalore Mirror

India’s Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) has circulated to the state governments, for the first time, guidelines on foster care following a national consultation on June 3 2015. “For the first time, the concept of foster care will get to see the light of day in India,” says the article. Whereas children whose parents are incarcerated, or otherwise not able to care for them, were previously placed into orphanages and not able to be adopted, the new foster care system will now allow children to be placed into non-related families while awaiting reunification with their parents, or adoption.

The Guidelines state that "while institutionalisation is a common practice, it is recognised that a family environment is the best place to ensure holistic and proper development of a child." The Guidelines set out to regulate the eligibility of foster parents, provisions for group foster homes, and the responsibilities of the foster parents, among other requirements. Additionally, according to the article, the government will provide “nominal financial help” to foster families to provide for the care of the children placed into their homes.