Project Holder: BOSCO Bangalore
Project Implementing Partner: Don Bosco Makkalalaya, Mysuru

About the Project

Family is the most conducive ambient for a child to grow up holistically. Child Care Institutions must be seen as the last resort when a child loses the biological family. Keeping this in mind Don Bosco Makkalalaya, Mysuru began its Foster Care journey in 2020, partnering with BOSCO, to provide and promote family care for those needy children without biological families.

Foster Care Programme at Don Bosco Makkalalaya, Mysuru

• Advocating for foster care through awareness creation for all in collaboration with the Women and Child Department of the government of Karnataka, other related departments, networking with government system, NGOs and the general public, identifying foster care parents and children, placing children who need foster care through the Government structures with the foster parents of foster care families.
• Foster care being a new concept of offering an alternative family care for children, it needs to be made known to the society.
• Awareness about Foster Care is conducted for DCPU and its staff, Child Welfare Committee Members (CWC), Special Juvenile Police Unit (SJPU) Elected Members of Panchayath (PRIs), Non-government Organizations, Police Departments, Child Care Institutions, Community Organizations, Asha Workers, Anganwadi Teachers, Women Self-Help Groups, Community Leaders, Schools and Teachers, Religious Leaders, the general Public etc.
• Discussions are held with Karnataka ICPS in order to give a wider and effective way of spreading the awareness on Foster Care for the needy children in the larger society, reaching out to the whole state of Karnataka.
• Promotional videos, posters and other IEC materials are used for Foster Care awareness creation.
• Publication of news on Foster Care in the newspapers is also an effective way of creating public awareness on the Foster Care Project.

Process carried out for placing children in Foster Care

• Identifying of prospective foster parents and children who need foster care.
• Training on Foster care to the prospective foster parents and foster children on its possibilities, government rules, regulations and legal procedures.
• Conducting home enquiry for Prospective foster parents to evaluate and verify their socio-economic requirements.
• Referring the needy children & prospective foster parents to Child Welfare Committee and the District Child Protection Unit of the government of Karnataka for the independent enquiry and counselling and follow up of the legal procedures which are integral part of the project.

Glimpses of the trainings and awareness programs conducted for Asha workers, Anganwadi Teachers, School Teachers, PRI Members, Parents, Govt Officials, Special Juvenile Police Unit, Religious Leaders, Women SHG Members, Anganwadi Mothers, General Public in Mysuru District.

Don Bosco Makkalalaya has created awareness about this project in four Taluks of the District of Mysore which include K. R. Nagar Taluk, T. N Pura Taluk, H. D. Kote Taluk and Mysuru Taluk.

As the realization of the much needed Foster Care Project is carried out hand in glove with the existing systems in the society, its becoming fast known and effective in partnering with the needy children for providing the best atmosphere for their growth and development. The basic goal of the concept is to reach out to the needy children who are without biological families.