Presentation by Dr Bharati Sharma (Chair person ,CWC,Delhi)

FOSTER CARE
Dr. Bharti Sharma
Chairperson
Child Welfare Committee, Delhi
State Consultation on Foster Care
In Delhi
8 th Feb,05

WHAT IS FOSTERING?
Fostering is looking after someone else’s child in your own home at a time when the child’s family is unable to do so.

WHAT SHOULD FOSTER CARE DO?
Foster care should provide to the child a nurturing environment in the family that is

# SAFE

# SECURE

# STABLE

# STIMULATING

WHEN IS FOSTER CARE NEEDED?
• Family breakdown
• Family illness
• Relationship difficulty
• Child’s safety is threatened
• Child is lost
• Child is abandoned
• Natural and man-made calamity

FOSTER CARE FOR HOW LONG?
Temporary
 For days
 Months
 Years
Ultimately
 Most to return home
 Some can get adopted
 Some can go to institutional care

WHAT WILL A FOSTER CARER DO?
1. Children separated from families feel confused, anxious and distressed. So may behave in difficult ways.
 Foster carer to comfort and reassure the child.
 Need to stick to the child and help to find ways of coping.

2. Children have their own cultural background.
 Foster care to acknowledge and respect this.

3. Foster carer to work with the child’s parents and help the child to be reunited with them.
 Encourage parents visits
 Try to keep them involved in child’s life

4. Foster carer to ensure the safety of the child.
 Protect the child
 Teach the child to keep himself/herself safe

5. Foster carer and social worker work in partnership to look after the child and ensure his/her psychosocial needs.
 Regular meetings to talk and discuss how the child is getting on and the future plan. (The child and the parents participate)

6. Foster carer to encourage the child learns and enjoys school. (Education/ vocational training)

7. Foster carer to protect and promote the physical and mental health needs of the child.

8. Foster carer to protect and respect the child’s and the family’s confidentiality.

9. Fostering involves the whole family. Sometimes it can become very demanding and challenging


FOSTER PLACEMENTS – KINDS
 Emergency Placement
 Short term placement
(Task centered work with the child and the family where the purpose and the duration of placement are explicit.)
 Assessment Placement
(Usually of four months during which detailed assessment is made of the physical, emotional, therapeutic needs of the child)
 Long term placement
(Till eighteen years.)

To Conclude
Major Highlights
• Always Temporary
• Congenial Family
• Emphasis on processes in all aspects – “HOW” not just “What”
• Capacity building of Social Worker
• Capacity building of the foster carer/s
• Round- the- clock help line for the foster carer