Foster Care in Kerala: How It Is Changing Lives

Foster care is an alternative family-based care arrangement for children who are unable to live with their biological parents due to various circumstances such as parental death, abandonment, or unsafe family environments.

Kerala has made significant strides in promoting foster care through the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, and our Sneha Sparsham program has been a key partner in this effort.

Unlike institutional care, foster care provides children with a nurturing family environment that promotes healthy development. Research consistently shows better outcomes for children in family-based care compared to institutional settings.

Our program recruits, trains, and supports foster families across Kerala. Prospective foster parents undergo thorough screening, training on child development and trauma-informed care, and are monitored regularly by our social workers.

We currently have 180 active foster families caring for 245 children. The response has been heartwarming, with families from diverse backgrounds stepping forward to provide loving homes.

Foster care is not adoption. The goal is temporary care until the child can be safely reunified with their biological family or, if that is not possible, find a permanent family through adoption. But in that temporary period, foster families provide the stability and love that every child deserves.

If you are interested in becoming a foster parent, contact our Sneha Sparsham team. The process is supportive and comprehensive.