India is home to around 31mn out of home care children (OHC) (separated from birth families or at-risk of separation). Most land up in institutional care due to lack of functional family or community-based care systems. Most of them have negative experiences of neglect, trauma, abandonment, abuse, deprivation, ill health, malnutrition, and lack of education, opportunities and face difficulty in placing trust in other adults. Adoption rates are as low as 0.18%; foster care and sponsorships are not given due attention yet; Most orphanages are not registered with the law and not monitored and hence lack focus or planning for individual care and counseling and are unable to support children and young people through long-term care approach.
On the other hand, Udayan Care (inception 1994), headquartered in New Delhi, has developed a unique model of child and youth care children in its thirteen group homes called Sunshine Homes or Udayan Ghars and its 2 Aftercare facilities as well as scattered site housing for its youth. The LIFE strategy of Living in Family Environment focuses on long-term attachment and care for all children and young persons through the continuum of care and the strong focus on mental and emotional well-being through a trauma-informed care approach.
This paper studies the Aftercare model at Udayan Care in a country where the subject is still largely unaddressed. The study documents the journey of a number of Careleavers and looks at the factors that contributed to transforming their lives and making them self-reliant, confident and independent adults, fully mainstreamed in society.
Keywords : Child & Youth Care, Aftercare, trauma informed care, mental health, Out-of-home-care children
