The family is the most natural environment for child rearing. Families stimulate children to
develop physical, social, emotional and cognitive skills. In families children form
attachments that are essential to healthy development.
Foster care is a better alternative to institutionalization. It offers individualized care,
attention and stimulation to fulfill each child's needs. Although BSSK has child care facilities in Pune, Aurangabad and Sangli we strongly believe that institutional care cannot be a substitute to the care a child may receive in a family. Thus, a foster care programme was initiated in Pune as early as 1979.
Babies above one month, weighing at least 2.5 kgs are placed with foster care families.
Foster babies show good response and development, with the one to one attention that they are privileged to receive. Tremendous care is taken to select the foster families. The foster families need to undergo various medical tests. The homes of the foster families are assessed for cleanliness, adequate water supply, hygiene. A thorough assessment and evaluation of the foster family is undertaken to determine the family's capabilities for foster parenting.
Foster mothers bring the babies to a baby clinic. A pediatrician visits this clinic once a
fortnight. BSSK's nurses and Child Development Workers visit the foster home regularly.
Special training sessions are held for foster mothers to talk to them about attachment,
issues, hygiene, cleanliness, baby care, etc. A local co-ordinator assists with the many needs that may arise and also visits the families as and when required. A baby once placed with a foster family is not moved to another family or to the child care center, unless under unavoidable circumstances. We try to keep the child with the same family, until the child is permanently rehabilitated. We try to avoid unnecessary transitions in a child's early life.
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