Policy document
Foster Care in India from 2010 to 2024—Policy and Humanity Lens
Ian Anand Forber-Pratt ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This article examines foster care policy and practice in India between 2010 and 2024, comparing the 2016 and 2024 foster care guidelines. It discusses the historical context of foster care in India and highlights challenges including slow scaling, corruption, and gaps in oversight. The article advocates for a child-centred approach with trained social workers, robust monitoring, cultural sensitivity, and community engagement. It calls for stronger alignment between foster care practices and the legal framework supporting them.
Key points
- Slow progress in foster care scaling nationwide since 2016, with instances of corruption reported
- Need for trained oversight and social work expertise to ensure children's well-being in foster care
- 2024 guidelines mark a shift towards child-centred approach in foster care implementation
- Essential components identified: cultural sensitivity, capacity building, community engagement, and effective monitoring and evaluation mechanisms
- Legal framework alignment needed to support comprehensive foster care implementation
Limitations
This article is primarily analytical and policy-focused commentary rather than empirical research, so it does not provide quantitative data on foster care outcomes or rigorous evaluation of specific interventions. It does not appear to include primary research or comparative analysis of effectiveness across different implementation models.
Abstract
The feature article explores the journey of foster care in India from 2010 to 2024 as an analysis and commentary on the substantive changes between the foster care 2016 model guidelines and the newly released foster care 2024 guidelines. The article highlights the historical context of foster care in India, acknowledging the efforts of pioneers over the past decades. It discusses the challenges of scaling up foster care nationwide, emphasising the need for proper support systems and cultural sensitivity. Reflecting on the journey since 2016, the article acknowledges the slow progress and instances of corruption in foster care implementation. It underscores the importance of trained oversight and social work expertise in ensuring the well-being of children in foster care. Looking ahead to 2024, with the release of new foster care guidelines, the article suggests a shift towards a child-centred approach and emphasises the need for robust monitoring and evaluation mechanisms. In summary, the article advocates for a comprehensive approach to foster care implementation in India, encompassing cultural sensitivity, capacity building, community engagement, legal framework alignment, child-centred practices and effective monitoring and evaluation.