Government steps up efforts to formulate 'foster care' rules

NEW DELHI: The government has stepped up its efforts to formulate rules for a new 'foster care' system under which an abandoned or orphaned child under the age of 18 years can be sent to a 'foster family'.

This comes in the wake of the Lok Sabha passing the amendments to the Juvenile Justice Act on May 7, paving way for such a system.

The Ministry of Women and Child Development is going to organise a workshop in the first week of June to formulate rules and regulations of the new system which will allow families to take charge of a child under the age of 18 through a district child protection unit.

The workshop will be attended by experts, NGO activists, lawyers, and representatives of the SOS Children's Villages International, an independent organisation which works for the adoption of orphaned and abandoned children.

The workshop is expected to consider various modules of foster care system existing in foreign countries and study the feasibility of their replication in Indian society.

"Though the concept is new to India, it is already running successfully in countries like the US and the UK. But we have to see if we can have similar modules and it will be one of the main focuses of the workshop," said a senior official at the Women and Child Development Ministry.

Once finalised, the rules will be put on the ministry's website for public opinions and suggestions, which might take around a month, the official said.

The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Bill, 2014 comprises provision of proper mechanism for foster care of children in need of protection. The Bill seeks to amend the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000.

The selection of children below 18 years will be done by the Child Welfare Committee which will have powers to send them to foster care of a person or family through a district child protection unit after ensuring that the person or family is fit for the responsibility.

Special investigation will be conducted by the Child Welfare Committee followed by the submission of a report before taking any decision.

If a child in need of protection is below six years of age, the committee will send him or her to a specialised adoption agency for care. A child sent into foster care will remain with his foster parents or family until suitable means of his rehabilitation are found or the child attains the age of 18 years.