CWC asked to conduct regular inspection of foster homes: NCPCR

Child welfare committees have been instructed to inspect foster homes every month for the first three months and then after every six months, NCPCR said, amid a rise in incidents of sexual abuse of children at child care institutions.

The National Commission For Protection of Child Rights has come up with a user guide in collaboration with Centre Of Excellence in Alternative Care (India) to boost foster care system in the country.

The manual is aimed at giving a clear understanding of what foster families are and ways to benefit children who are under institutional care, according to an NCPCR official.

"India faces a greater challenge in deinstitutionalisation because of its size, geography, economy and the fact that foster care is a fairly recent development. It is therefore important to develop a model of foster care that works for India," the official said.

The guidebook comes in the backdrop of reports of sexual abuse of children at child care institutions across the country.

The issue of sexual abuse of minor girls first made headlines in April after the Tata Institute of Social Sciences submitted its audit report of shelter homes in Bihar to the state social welfare department. It raised the possibility of sexual abuse of girls at a shelter home in Muzaffarpur, which was later confirmed by their medical examination.

The second case came to light in August in which 24 girls were rescued from one of these homes in Deoria in Uttar Pradesh amid allegations of their sexual exploitation.

Stating the responsibilities of child welfare committees, district child protection officers and foster parents, the manual has established a framework of their roles.

Under the guidelines, child welfare committees have been instructed to conduct an inspection every month for the first three months and then after every six months of foster homes.

It has also been instructed to pass order of extension or termination of placement as per the recommendations of the District Child Protection Unit (DCPU).

"Foster care is a complex task requiring a high level of support and skill. In most instances for it to work effectively, considerable investment is required in terms of time, money and expertise. Investing in foster care in the long run is likely to improve health and well-being, education and life chances for the child and break the cycle of deprivation," the user guide notes.

Carers who are over 35 years of age are eligible to become foster parents, the guidebook says, underlining that a child has to be produced in front of the child welfare committee as and when required by it.

The DCPU has been tasked with maintaining a detailed database of all placements of a child until they turn 18.

It has also been tasked with resolving issues concerning foster care through investigations and interventions and recommending extension or termination of placement in foster care.