Thiruvananthapuram: Even modest social interventions are producing commendable results. Thanks to programmes like foster care and ‘Snehapoorvam’, the number of children in the 1295 registered orphanages in the state has come down dramatically in the last three years. From 75,000 in 2014, the number has fallen to 38,000.
The number will drop even further when the Orphanage Control Board starts to enforce the legal stipulation that orphanages in the state should register under the Juvenile Justice Act. Once orphanages register under the JJ Act, they can admit children only through the Child Welfare Committee, and will be prohibited from doing so directly.
De-institutionalisation is the objective. “Institutionalisation should be seen as the last resort, it should be opted for only if there is no other choice,” said Dr Mohammad Asheel, the executive director of Kerala Social Security Mission. ‘Snehapoorvam’ project, launched in 2012, was an attempt to keep children out of orphanages, to protect them in their own homes or that of relatives. The child who is normally put in an orphanage is either in the care of a jobless or sick single parent or is an orphan with poor relatives. In both these cases, financial distress forces the transfer of the child to a welfare home.
‘Snehapoorvam’ project offered a small financial assistance and nothing else; support ranges from Rs 300 to Rs 1000. Yet, the response was huge. “Last year, 70,000 children registered under the scheme. It is only a few days into the New Year and we have 58,000 applications,” Dr Asheel said. Families that would have otherwise send their children to orphanages now have a better option. The applicants include inmates of orphanages who want to get back to their families.
There was concern that families would opt for the scheme for the money. To take greed out of the equation, beneficiaries are selected by schools and colleges. It is the headmaster or principal who submits applications online.
For orphan kids without a close family, the social justice department has been aggressively promoting ‘foster care’ concept.
