Thiruvananthapuram: It was four long years of strenuous wait for adoption which prompted this Thiruvananthapuram native to consider the ambitious vacation foster care programme of the social justice department. It was last summer; she (who didn't want to be named) brought home two kids from the Kerala State Council for Child Welfare (KSCCW) under the vacation foster care programme, which was launched in 2015.
"We brought them home last summer and now they are seven and five years old respectively. Past one year has changed our lives and we wish they stay with us forever," says a foster parent, who is one among the many interested in this programme. According to authorities, this year around 200 children at shelter homes and institutions across the state have been placed under the vacation foster care programme.
According to authorities, the demand for the programme is going up as each year passes. The district child protection officers scrutinise each foster care applications they get. "A home study would be carried out and only after that only we sent the children. There will be regular follow-ups," the official said.
"This year the authorities have included children from private institutions too. These children live in shelter homes and institutions and our aim is to give them the family experience. These children are not legally free of adoption and institutionalised due to difficult circumstances. Foster care programme ensures a family environment for these kids. They get the care they deserve until they are able to return to their biological family," said the official.
Till last year, only children at government shelters and homes were placed for foster care. "Around 850 private institutions and homes in the state took the mandatory registration from the department and hence this year we were able to include children from private homes too," the official added.
