For a few children from orphanages in the district, summer is a season of love. They are spending their vacation with families, thanks to the Foster Care programme of the Women and Children’s Welfare Department.
This year, 18 families are fostering 22 children from institutions such as Government Children’s Home, Free Birds Home and St. Vincent Home.
Last year, only 10 children could get foster homes. The programme began in the district in 2017 and 30 children were sent to foster homes.
“The main aim of the programme is to help children acquaint with a home atmosphere, which is quite different from that of a hostel or orphanage,” said Joseph Rebello, District Child Protection Officer.
The children were selected based on their legal status.
“These are children who are not legally free and could not be given for adoption. They may have some relatives, but they may not be in a position to take care of the children,” Mr. Rebello said. Willing families for the programme were shortlisted after proper inquiry and home study by the Child Welfare Committee.
The vacation foster care is only for around one-and-a-half months, but if the families and the children are willing, the foster care could be extended. In fact, there are at least four children in the district who are under prolonged foster care. The Child Welfare Committee is in charge of monitoring their whereabouts and extending the programme when required.
“The families, if interested, can prolong the foster care as much as they want and in future, can adopt the child, if the child becomes legally free, or by approaching the court,” the official added.