Together, let’s make families stronger!
Together, let’s make families stronger!
Creating a family-like environment for Out-of-Homecare children
While every child has a right to grow up in a family environment, UNICEF estimates that worldwide, 2.7 million children live in institutional care and the actual number is likely much higher. There are many immediate and long-term disruptions caused by family separation and institutional care. Harmful living conditions adversely affect the physical and mental health of children living in institutions. Living in such isolated spaces has consequences that last for a lifetime!
There need to be steps to stop the unnecessary separation of children from their families and protect children who grow up without parental care. We need to focus on the root cause of family-child separation and support children’s transition from institutions to family care systems. Many children who live in these institutions have living family members including relatives or at least one parent. Such children should be placed in the kinship of a family member and supported by strengthening the family.
How is Udayan Care strengthening families?
Udayan Care believes that family is the foundation for the development of a strong individual. Each of our initiatives is guided by the purpose of strengthening the family unit. Through the power of mentorship, we nurture children without parental care in the warmth of a simulated family environment at Udayan Ghars. Once the children reach the age of 18 years, they move into our Aftercare program and continue with higher education or vocational training to enable them to form families of their own. We also focus on reintegrating children back into their families as institutional care should be the last resort for any child. We strengthen these families so that children are not separated from them. Furthermore, through the Udayan Shalini Fellowship program, we enable girls from economically weaker sections to receive higher education and strengthen their families. Our IT and vocational training centres empower underserved youth and women to improve their employability skills and make their families stronger through financial independence.
We have a dedicated project called the FiT Families Together initiative that focuses on empowering families so that they can support their children. This project is aimed at developing a demonstrable and scalable model of family strengthening. By supporting families to care for their children we work towards preventing them from unnecessary separation and institutionalization. The program supports children like Humza who along with her siblings grew up in a childcare institution. However, their Uncle took the initiative of nurturing all five siblings together. She says, “My uncle never made us feel that we are not part of his family.” With the support of her family and Udayan Care’s intervention, Humza is pursuing a basic computer training course. Once she completes the program, she will get a paid internship and an opportunity to be placed on regular employment. Humza’s story is no less significant than that of Harry Potter as her new family gave her a sense of direction in life! She herself says, “I feel I am becoming more confident while learning new skills in life.”
Let us remember that a happy family is the pillar of a happy society and strengthening families leads to a progressive nation!
To know how you can get involved with us and help strengthen families visit https://www.udayancare.org/
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