Context:
Ministry of Women and Child Development released Model Foster Care Guidelines (MFCG), 2024.
Revised Foster Care Guidelines:
- Successor to – MFCG 2016
- Based on – Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, Juvenile Justice Model Rules, 2016 and Adoption Regulations, 2022
- Definition – Foster Care refers to placement of a child in a domestic environment of a family other than the biological family, selected and approved by the Child Welfare Committee.
Key Provisions:
- Children Eligible for Foster Care –
- Children above 6 years living in childcare institutions or community
- Hard-to-place children (children who have been referred to prospective adoptive parents 15 times and yet have not been reserved by a family)
- Children with special needs
- Children with unfit guardians
- Eligibility to Foster –
- Any person, irrespective of marital status, can foster a child (previously only married couples were eligible under MFCG 2016).
- Single females can foster and adopt a child of any gender.
- Single males can only foster and adopt male children.
- Spouse/couple must have a stable marital relationship of at least 2 years.
- Adoption – Foster parents can adopt the child they have been fostering for a minimum of 2 years (reduced from 5 years).
Related Article: Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA)
Source: The Indian Express
Previous Year Question
Consider the following organizations/bodies in India:
1. The National Commission for Backward Classes
2. The National Human Rights Commission
3. The National Law Commission
4. The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission
How many of the above constitutional bodies?
[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2023 Prelims]
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) Only three
(d) All four
Answer: (a)
