Bringing Home the Warmth: Bala Mandir’s First Summer Fostering Pilot

At Bala Mandir, we have always believed that every child deserves more than shelter, education, and safety. They deserve warmth, affection, and the feeling of being part of a family—even if only for a while. This summer, we took a small but meaningful step toward that vision through our very first Temporary Summer Fostering Programme.

Why Summer Fostering?

Bala Mandir is a unique Child Care Institution (CCI) that admits children under the age of six, providing adoption services, short-term care for rescued children, and long-term shelter for those who cannot be adopted or reunited with their families. Over time, we noticed a painful truth: some children grow up in the institution without visitors, without family, and without the emotional anchors that most of us take for granted.

We had tried long-term foster care in the past, but the transition was difficult—especially for older children—and often unsustainable. This led us to consider temporary fostering, an idea with known benefits but many procedural hurdles.

With encouragement from a some senior past members of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) and consultations with government officials, we decided to pilot a short-term programme during the summer of 2025.

Our Goals Were Simple—but Powerful:

1. Give orphaned and abandoned children a taste of family life.
2. Boost their self-esteem and happiness through meaningful human connections.
3. Let them experience outings and day-to-day family routines in a safe environment.
4. Identify opportunities for longer-term mentoring and emotional support.
5. Enable mutual learning and bonding—for both children and host families.
6. Reconnect Bala Mandir alumni with the institution in a purposeful way.

How We Made It Happen

From idea to execution, the programme came together in just a few months—February to May 2025—with the support of a dedicated team and some extraordinary volunteers. Here’s a snapshot of the process:

• Identifying Foster Families: We reached out to Bala Mandir staff and alumni—people who already understood our children’s backgrounds. Fourteen families signed up enthusiastically.
• Screening & Preparation: Our social workers visited each home, conducted background checks, and offered training. We prepared the children too—carefully matching them with families and coaching them on what to expect.
• Overcoming Bureaucratic Hurdles: With children under three different CWC jurisdictions, approvals were challenging. Each committee had its concerns. Eventually, with perseverance and flexibility a set of clear protocols were agreed —including daily reports from our team—and we received clearance.
• Daily Follow-up & Support: Volunteers were guided with written instructions, WhatsApp groups facilitated real-time communication, and our social workers checked in daily with both children and families.

The Outcome? Heartwarming.

Over just 6–7 days, something beautiful happened. Children bloomed in the warmth of a home setting. Families welcomed them with empathy and joy. There were smiles, outings, laughter—and the unmistakable feeling of being cared for.

Not one child had a negative experience. In fact, many foster families have asked if they can continue to mentor the children or welcome them again during future holidays. A connection has been made—and for some children, this could be the beginning of a long-lasting emotional support system.

What’s Next?

We believe this programme has immense potential to become a model of emotional care within institutional settings. With the cooperation of key stakeholders—CWC, DCPO, and the Directorate—we hope to make the process more formal, rigorous, and predictable in the future. The goal is to not only explore how such short-term family experiences can provide lasting emotional benefits to children who grow up in CCIs but also to see how we can move some of these children to longer term foster care with willing families.

If you’re a well-wisher, policy-maker, or just someone who believes every child deserves a chance to feel at home and want to help, please write to me at pn@balamandir.org.

Let’s give more children the joy of being part of a family, even if just for a week.

A Week of Family, A Lifetime of Impact