Seven orphan children get foster parents in Bharuch

SURAT: Seven children including five girls and two boys from the Sishu Gruh run by the Child Welfare committee in Bharuch were placed under foster care with childless couples from the district on Thursday.
This is the first instance in Gujarat where not one or two, but seven children aged six months to six years were placed under foster care, which is largely a pre-adoption procedure in India.
Union Cabinet had approved the changes to the Juvenile Justice Act that allows any child under 18 years, deserted by his parents or where parents cannot take care of him or her because of illness or other reason or a child who is in conflict with law, to be placed in foster care for a short or extended period of time.
On Thursday, seven children Shital, five-and-a-half-year, Shivam (5), Mahi, (18 months), Charu (18 months), Durgha (6), Veer (11 months) and Shaily (six months), were place under foster care.
Rajendra Sutaria, chairman, child welfare board, Bharuch said, “It is first time that seven children have been given for foster care. We have selected the prospective families that have already applied for adoption. A thorough verification of the family’s ability, intent, capacity and prior experience of taking care of children was done.”
Manish Shah, who runs a grocery shop in Chami village near Bharuch said, “I have adopted six-month-old Shaily under foster care. Shaily was abandoned by her parents and we will have to wait till the court finally approves our legal adoption. Till then, we will raise the little girl.”