ALAPPUZHA: Gopinath (name changed), a 55-year-old government employee from Alappuzha, had married Anitha 30 years ago. But as many childless parents would do, they are not willing to adopt a child to ward off the loneliness of old age.
Two years ago, they brought home a 10-year-old girl from the District Child Welfare Committee (CWC) through the ‘foster care’ project of the Social Justice Department of Kerala. After six months of foster care, they returned the children to her biological parents.
“Foster care keeps us relaxed. After the first instance, we had taken two other children for foster care. We’d returned the child to their biological parents after six months,” said Gopinath.
Nijo, programme manager of the State Adoption Resource Agency (SARA), said instances of foster care have been on the rise in the state.
“Foster care is a substitute for family care, short or long term, when a child’s family is not in a position to provide him/her with care.
The Child Welfare Committee of each district places such children in the domestic environment of another family,” said Nijo. The process has been carried out under Juvenile Justice Act. The Child Protection Unit (CPU) in each district is handling measures with the assistance of the CWC.