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Non-institutional Family Based Care

One of the core principles of Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) Act 2015 is that institutionalisation must be the last resort for children.  Experiences of children and research studies across the world show long term adverse impact of institutionalisation on children. Non-institutional family-based alternative care such as kinship care and foster care are considered to be the preferred options on the continuum of care as these options prevent institutionalisation of children and supports their right to grow up in a family environment.<.br> Foster care is defined as care of children in a family other than their biological family in the absence of a biological family or when care in the family or extended family is not possible. In India, foster care is practised as individual foster care and group foster care. The first variant refers to the care of a child under a foster family. Group foster care is ‘a family-like care in a fit facility for children in need of care and protection who are without parental care. 
Kinship care is defined as family-based care within the child's extended family or with close friends of the family known to the child, whether formal or informal. In India, kinship care for children without adequate parental care is the most common form of care traditionally.


RESOURCES

  • Research Paper: Kinship Care
    Miracle Foundation , 2021

    In India, kinship care for children without adequate parental care is the most common form of care in almost all regions, religions, castes, and ethnic groups due to the tradition of the joint family system and close ties among relatives. While this care option is the most common, it is also the least systematically recorded, monitored, or supported option. In light of the above statement, Miracle Foundation India, with the support of our CCI partners, is trying to take active measures to ensure systematic implementation of the case management process for the safe, permanent, and sustainable reintegration of children. The Miracle Foundation has hence conducted a study in May 2021 which examined the success of children reintegrated into kinship care over the past 2 years. The study was Miracle Foundation India’s contribution to the paper on kinship care to be submitted to UNGA DGD. Along with CINI and Shishuadhar, under the aegis of IACN, a small team at Miracle Foundation India was created to pull the practical insights together. Primary data was collected within the purview of experiences, challenges, and recommendations and analysed by the Miracle team. The findings from data analysis through structured interviews with concerned stakeholders and analysis of data of the 71 children (reintegrated to kinship care) from the case management tracker—a tracking system developed by Miracle Foundation India covering all six stages of the case management process—helped in capturing the experiences, challenges, and recommendations for strengthening the kinship care system which is elaborated in the report.