A loving home for every child

Press Release

Providing Family BasedCare to Parentless and Abandoned Children can reap dividends in multiples

New Delhi, May 15, 2012: The holistic development of a child when happens underparents helps the child develop better reasoning and motors skills, higher IQ levels and a much better health which in turn makes him/her into a productive citizen of the country. And any alternate care model that aims to provide a family like environment to a vulnerable child will help in building a strong nation with healthy and happy children. These messages were re–iterated today on the occasion of International Family Day by SOS Children’s Villages of India which has beenproviding family based care to parentless children in India over the last five decades. The occasion also witnessed the release of the SOS Global Report –FAMILY FOCUS – CHALLENGES & SOLUTIONS.

The report highlights how today disadvantaged families across the globe are facing unprecedented change, brought about by recent global economic turbulence. The number of unemployed and working poor is increasing, and many parents are migrating in search of better work so as to provide financial benefits for their families. However, separating family members can have a devastating impact on life of the family and the development of the children . Children separated from their parents through migration experience double the rate of emotional distress. The Report outlines realistic options for legislators and decision makers who wish to do something NOW to improve the lives of children and families across the world.

In India search for work brings Indian children to the streets where 1 in 6 under 14 year-olds get engaged in child labour (Source: UN Habitat 2003). Further, India has approximately 422 million children. Approximately 20 million below the age of 18 do not receive adequate parental care and support as they do not have either of their parents. This is estimated to rise to 24.35 million by the year 2021. (Source: National Child Vulnerability Study by SOS Children’s Villages of India, 2008).

Over a third of India’s population lives below the poverty line and about half the country’s 350 million children are chronically malnourished. One million children were out of school in India in 2009, most of them from marginalised social groups and only 40% of Indian adolescents attend secondary school. One in every 6 children under 14 is engaged in child labour.

Recognising the severe impact of poverty and the resulting stress on parental care capacity, national policies should put specific emphasis on developing and implementing appropriate support structures, measures and services preventing child abandonment and family separation, as set forth in the UN Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children. State signatories to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child should fulfil their obligations to support parents and care providers and implement the UN Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children.

SOS Children’s Villages believes that any understanding of ‘quality’ care must be based on a child development perspective. According to the UNCRC, children’s development is best realised in a caring family environment, involving children as agents of their own development, making decisions in their best interests, respecting their rights, etc. Supported by strong social networks, families can help children to develop to their full potential.

In India, the Juvenile Justice (Care & Protection), Act, 2000 (Sections 42, 43, 44-Chapter IV) aims to provide for effective provisions and various alternatives for rehabilitation and social reintegration such as: Adoption; Foster Care; Sponsorship and After Care.

“Alternative care” means a way of caring for 'Children in Need of Care and Protection' that is a substitute to institutionalization and one that recognizes the important role of a family in ensuring the all round development of a child.UN Guidelines provision on formal alternate care states that- When a child is placed in alternate care, contact with his/her family, as well as with other persons close to him or her, such as friends, neighbours and previous carers, should be encouraged and facilitated, in keeping with the child's protection and best interests.The child should have access to information on the situation of his/her family members in the absence of contact with them.

“Some NGOs have successfully implemented models of Family Based Group Care,Foster Care, and Sponsorship , which need to be considered for replication on a large scale. Organisations implementing these models must be supported by the Government and could work closely with other like minded NGOs to establish Alternate Care models for children without parental care,” says Rakesh Jinsi, Secretary General, SOS Children’s Villages of India.

The Family Based Care model builds a family for children who are unfortunate not to have their biological families. Families are created through a mutual need for affection and a sense of belonging. These families live in a home like any other and though they may not be biologically connected to each other the emotional bonding through growing years creates brothers and sisters and mothers and children for those may have lived in impersonal institutions for years.

SOS families live together, forming a supportive village environment where children enjoy a happy childhood. The SOS mother builds a close relationship with every child entrusted to her, and provides the security, love and stability that each child needs. Through his or her family, village and community, each child learns to participate actively in society.

About SOS Children’s Villages of India

Present in India since 1964, there are nearly 33 SOS Children’s Villages reaching out to 6500 abandoned and orphaned children across the country. Some of these villages were set up in disaster hit areas to support displaced children.

SOS is also implementing the Family Strengthening Program(FSP) that reaches out to children outside SOS Children’s villages in 33 locations across India. The beneficiaries are typically children of single mothers/ widows, single parents, children living with other family members or below poverty line families. The strategy is to ensure continuation of education & health provisions for children while enabling the family to become self reliant in a 3-5 year period via livelihood/ income generating capacity development. This is a preventive program for children who are at risk of losing parental care/normal family life. FSP reaches 16,500 children & the goal is to expand to 100,000 children over the next 3 years.

For more details, please contact:

Saumika Bhattacharjee, Shreshtha Kumar

Communicators India

Ph: 46082436

M: 9873419645, 9873077438

Email: