Mission Vatsalya scheme of the Ministry of Women and Child Development envisages a robust ecosystem through the network of state and local governments to ensure the safety and security of children in the country. Under the existing scheme guidelines, Standing/Sub-Committee system of the local bodies, the function of child welfare and protection issues may be assigned to the existing committee of the urban local body/Panchayati Raj Institution/Gram Panchayat which deals with issues of social justice/welfare of women and children.

In this spirit, Child Welfare and Protection Committee (CW&PC) at the village level will identify the children who are eligible for support likely to be in difficult circumstances, orphans, street children, etc. These children will be facilitated under the sponsorship component of the Mission Vatsalya Scheme. Sponsorship facilities will be provided to these Children as per the recommendation of CWC and approved by the Sponsorship and Foster Care Approval Committee (SFCAC). States/UTs will be requested accordingly to extend facilities of sponsorship to the eligible children.

Norms of the Sponsorship, Foster care, and aftercare falling under Non-Institutional Care as below :

The Mission will support children through the following modes of Non-Institutional Care:

1. Sponsorship: financial support may be extended to vulnerable children living with extended families/ biological relatives for supporting their education, nutrition, and health needs.
2. Foster Care: the responsibility of the child is undertaken by an unrelated family for the care protection and rehabilitation of the child. Financial support is provided to biologically unrelated Foster Parents for nurturing the child.
3. Adoption: finding families for the children found legally free for adoption. Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) will facilitate the adoption programme.
4. After Care: the children who are leaving a Child Care Institution on completion of 18 years of age may be provided with financial support to facilitate the child’s re-integration into mainstream society. Such support may be given from the age of 18 years up to 21 years, extendable up to 23 years of age to help her/him become self-dependent.

Types of Sponsorship

Criteria for selection and process of providing assistance under sponsorship will be of two types-

 A – Government Aided Sponsorship

B –  Private Aided Sponsorship