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The Latur Pilot |
Preamble
Adoption in India, is essentially, an urban phenomenon, most adoptions being formalized by city parents. Almost every city agency has a long list of parents awaiting their turn. Often the wait extends up to 2 years! In smaller towns, on the other hand, while some male children do find homes locally, the girls, particularly older and dark-skinned ones, generally do not . Consequently, many of them end up in orphanages, where the quality of rehabilitation is at best, sub-optimal. CSA’s exploration led us to a cluster of 7 agencies in Marathawada, Maharashtra, where 121 children were waiting to find homes. 15 of those children were older ones who would soon move into orphanages. We at CSA, decided to do something!
Committed to enhancing the number of adoptions, we began by exploring the possibility of getting some of the city agencies to direct their waiting parents to the Marathawada agencies and, met a dead-end. City agencies refused to cooperate. They pleaded confidentiality of information. They also, cautioned that city parents would not adopt from smaller towns primarily because the childcare standards in those agencies were not as good. The interaction though baffling, provided some significant learnings; first, we had ourselves, to find ways of reaching out to city parents. Second, if child care standards was an issue, it needed to be addressed. Thus, began the Latur Pilot and, our dialogue with the identified agencies.
Objectives
1. To find a family for each waiting child
2. To improve the childcare standards.
3. To coordinate with the Government and ensure implementation of policies
Project start
Participating agencies
1. Bal Vikas Mahila Mandal Shishu Sadan
2. Shri Ganesh Shikshan Prasarak Mandal
3. Dnyan Gangotri Mother Teresa Shishu Greh
4. Sandhi Niketan Shikshan Sanstha
5. Smt. Narshabai Mahila Mandal Shishu Greh
6. Jyotiba Phule Seva Trust - Sunita Gutte Shishu Greh
7. Mahila Mandal ( Sunitibai Phule Shishu Greh)
Methodology
1. Need-identification- situational analysis (factual information)
2. Co-ordination with the WCD, Maharashtra State Government for transfer of eligible children into city agencies (where they could be placed) as per CARA Guidelines.
3. Local promotion
a. Workshops for Prospective parents and Adoptive parents
Sensitisation programmes for the District Officials and Judiciary
b. Media participation
4. External promotion
a. Micro site on CSA Website
b. Outdoor Hoardings in neighboring cities
c. Media participation
d. Garage sales, volunteer events, Marathon participation
e. Adoption Awareness week
5. Coordination with the local CWC and District authorities to deal with process-bottlenecks.
6. Capability building
a. Training programmes for Social and Child care workers
7. Support
a. Improving infrastructure-civil work, furniture, drainage
b. Improving Health and care- hygiene, medicines, clothes, toys, music system, linen, baby warmer, refrigerator
c. Provision of a nursery teacher
d. Uniform for childcare workers
e. Visits by a medical practitioner
Achievements
1 Several placements have been facilitated- most of them girls and older children.
2 Each participating agency doubled its numbers during the year.
| Sr.No |
Agency Name |
Placement |
Pipeline |
Number of Adoptions |
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|
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2006-07 |
2007-08 |
| 1 |
Balvikas(Mah) |
7 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
| 2 |
Shree Ganesh(Mah) |
3 |
2 |
|
3 |
| 3 |
Dyangangotri(Mah) |
1 |
|
|
1 |
| 4 |
Narsabai(Mah) |
1 |
1 |
|
1 |
| 5 |
Sunita Gutte(Mah) |
3 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
| 6 |
Sandhi Niketan(Mah) |
2 |
|
|
2 |
| 7 |
Unnatishil(Mah) |
1 |
|
|
1 |
| |
Total |
18 |
9 |
4 |
14 |
3 Improvements in Quality standards
a. All adoptions routed through CSA are by parents from Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai and Bangalore
b. 50+ children declared ‘legally-free for adoption’.
c. Speedier processing
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