SOS Children's Villages India partners with Uttarakhand Govt to strengthen Child Welfare Programmes

Dehradun, 28 February 2024: SOS Children's Villages India, a leading non-profit organisation working to provide care and support to vulnerable children, has partnered with the Ministry of Women Empowerment and Child Development, Government of Uttarakhand.

This strategic partnership aims to enhance child welfare initiatives across the state, focusing on various crucial areas. 

An MoU in this regard was signed by Prashant Kumar Arya, IAS, Director, Women Welfare, Uttarakhand and Sumanta Kar, CEO, SOS Children’s Villages India recently. 

According to the officials of SOS Children’s Villages, the MoU encompasses four key areas of collaboration:

Children’s Home: Under this initiative, efforts will be directed towards admitting children in need of care and protection in a family-like environment in a community setup.

Supporting vulnerable families in the community (Family Strengthening Programme): The partnership seeks to implement Family Strengthening Programmes to support vulnerable families within the community, ensuring that children can grow up in a safe and stable family environment.

Mukhyamantri Vatsalya Yojana (Kinship Care): Through the Mukhyamantri Vatsalya Yojana, efforts will be made to promote kinship care arrangements for children in need, emphasising the importance of family-like care solutions.

Mentorship Programme (Technical Assistance and Knowledge Partnership for CCIs): This aspect of the collaboration will focus on providing technical assistance and fostering knowledge partnerships for Child Care Institutions (CCIs) to enhance their capacity in providing quality care and support to children.

Speaking on the occasion, Rekha Arya, Minister of Women Empowerment and Child Development, Uttarakhand, hailed the partnership saying the endeavour will boost institutional and non-institutional care for the children of Uttarakhand.

Sumanta Kar, CEO of SOS Children's Villages India, said, "We are delighted to join hands with the Ministry of Women Empowerment and Child Development, Government of Uttarakhand, to strengthen our collective efforts in ensuring the well-being and protection of vulnerable children. Through this collaboration, we aim to create sustainable solutions that positively impact the lives of children and families across the state."

Established in 1964, SOS Children's Villages India operates a Children's Village in Bhimtal, Uttarakhand, where currently 182 children are supported under the Family Like Care Programme.

It currently has 31 SOS Children’s Villages India across 22 States/UTs, supporting more than 6,500 children.