THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Newborns bring happiness to every home. In the capital city, there’s a home which has been blessed to experience this blissful warmth and joy quite often - the care home run by the State Council for Child Welfare.
This month alone, the home took four infants - two boys and girls each - under its wings. A total of 17 children were received this year, thereby taking the total number of inmates to 74.
Newborns start their life at the home with a new name. The two baby boys have been named Sanush, Manav and the baby girls Miya and Arushi, said council general secretary S P Deepak. “All of them are healthy and have quickly adapted to the new environment,” he said.
The care home-cum-adoption centre of the council is one of the best run centres in the state. Over 75 ayahs take care of the children. The service of two nurses are available round the clock. A panel of doctors attend to emergencies and conduct routine check-ups. Two nurseries and a Montessori are also part of the home.
Children at the care home in the capital are those received in the offices or ammathottils (electronic cradles) in the districts of Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam. The other foster care centers of the council are in Malappuram which has 24 inmates.
Deepak said the council is making all efforts to facilitate the adoption of the inmates. “This is just a transit home. Our aim is to hand over legally free children to foster parents at the earliest,” he said.
The council facilitated 40 adoptions this year, a record number in the history of the home. “All these adoptions adhered to the Juvenile Justice Act and directions by the norms of Central Adoption Resource Authority,” Deepak says.
At present, the council has ammathottils in 13 districts and efforts are on to install one in Kozhikode. These cradles have rescued hundreds of children who now lead normal life under the care of their foster parents.
There are 17 adoption homes in the state of which the council’s centre in the capital is the only government-run facility. Following complaints of malpractice in private centres, council has decided to open adoption centres in Alappuzha, Kollam, Pathanamthitta and Kasargod besides upgrading the Malappuram centre.
The plans
Earlier, the Kerala State Council for Child Welfare planned a major revamp in its operations including refurbishing of ammathottils and opening of more adoption centres
One of the highlights of the development programmes was a training institution for differently-abled children at Kalliyoor in Thiruvananthapuram.
Child care homes will be established in all districts. District child Welfare Council offices will be modernised