Institutional care is meant to be a measure of last resort, temporary in nature, with the law mandating efforts to restore children to their biological families or to find alternative family-based options promptly. Unfortunately, many children remain in long-term institutional care due to a lack of case reviews, family tracing, or family-strengthening efforts toward restoration. This violates a child’s right to a loving family, which is crucial for their holistic development and is also mandated under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015. Recognizing the importance of Family-Based Alternative Care (FBAC), such as adoption, foster care, and kinship care, CSA is working closely with functionaries to strengthen the foster care systems in Maharashtra.

Foster care is a system established to provide a safe, loving, and nurturing family environment for children whose parents or guardians are unavailable or unable to care for them due to various circumstances. CSA is also focusing on family strengthening, aiming to support families at risk of institutionalizing their children. By addressing underlying challenges and providing need-based interventions, the initiative seeks to prevent both institutionalization and reinstitutionalization, ensuring that children can grow up in their own stable and nurturing family environments.