Policies, Laws and Schemes Supporting Foster Care and Adoption in South Asia

Abstract

Families are the natural environment for children to grow. Children have the right to be cared for by their parents; parents have a responsibility to provide for their children’s upbringing and development. States have the responsibility to provide special protection and assistance to millions of children in South Asia who no longer have families, who have become separated from their families, or whose families represent a serious danger to their health or development. There is a spectrum of services available to children whose parents no longer provide adequate care, known as Out of Home Care or Alternate Care. There are growing concerns about the situation of children outside parental care and the provision of suitable alternatives in South Asia. These children often find themselves at a high risk of violence, exploitation, abuse and neglect, and their well-being is often insufficiently monitored. An inadequate care environment can impair a child’s emotional and social development, and leave children extremely vulnerable to abuse and exploitation, including sexual abuse and physical violence. Across the South Asian region, the combined impacts of widespread poverty, prolonged armed conflict, frequent natural disasters and the spread of COVID-19 is exerting extreme pressure on families and communities, as well as on the limited social services available to support them. The present article aims to study the various policies, laws & schemes supporting two forms of alternate care, namely, foster care & adoption in South Asia, identify the gaps in the implementation and make certain recommendations.