In India, 31 million children live without parental care, that is, they lack the overnight care of at least one of their parents. These children, who have been temporarily or permanently separated form their biological families, need protection in the form of quality alternative care. The grave reality is that only 1.4% receives any sort of formal alternative care. On the ground, programmes entailing child centric family strengthening measures or community based care for such childrenare almost non-existent. Efforts made by the government to promote adoption haven’t been very successful.

Most children living in aftercare setups are expected to become independent at age 18. Without receiving any further guidance or support, many fall prey to the vulnerabilities faced by youngsters.

The lack of understanding on how to implement systems of care such as counselling or trauma informed care approach for the mental well being of such children compounds the problem.India also has a deficiency of research and data available on the number of children requiring or living in alternative care.

Residential care should always be the last resort, with a greater emphasis on family strengthening and community based care. However, institutional care is still the most popular choice resorted to by the gatekeeping agencies of juvenile justice in India.

At Udayan Care, we are committed to ensuring sustainable and holistic development for children and youth, by upholding their rights and looking after their well being. We lovingly prepare them for life, staying by their side as they grow through the different phases of life—childhood, adolescence and adulthood. In whatever we do, we always put children first.