A carefree and secured childhood is what every child deserves, along with quality education, access to good healthcare, and enough food. A society where children suffer may never truly develop. While parents try hard to provide the best for their kids, some children may need more support and love from their biological parents. Fostering children who are in care homes is noble not only because it provides home, love, and care to children but also saves them from the trauma and instability that they may have experienced otherwise.
Adoption after fostering can be another great milestone in this direction. Fostering children is possible through government agencies and licensed organisations. It is also interesting to know that foster parents can include their foster kids in a family health insurance plan. This way, you can also ensure health protection to fostering children. Let's move on to understanding fostering and adoption.
In the last 3 years, India has witnessed a spike of almost 25%1 in the number of abandoned and orphaned children. On the other hand, thankfully, the number of foster parents has also increased. There has been a rise in the adoption of children as well.
The reason behind losing parents can be many including the terrors of Covid-19. Losing one or both parents or being abandoned by parents can be a traumatising situation for a child. It not only affects them mentally but the future of the child also becomes uncertain due to lack of support and access to quality life.
Fostering children means taking home a child who has no parents to look after them with no home. Foster caring does not make you the legal parents of the child but only foster parents. Simply put, foster parents take care of a minor child, until a certain age, without being the legal parents to them. In the due course of time, one can adopt their foster child and become the legal parent to them. Foster care adoption can change the lives of such children for good and give them their forever home.
The Government of India also encourages fostering and adoption. The government of India has made amendments to the Juvenile Justice Amendment Act, 20212 to ease the process of adoption and fostering children.
Fostering and adoption sound somewhat similar but these are two different terms with different meanings. The table below will give you a detailed understanding of fostering and adoption:
| Fostering | Adoption |
|---|---|
| Fostering is a temporary process. | Adoption is permanent. |
| Fostering means taking care of a child and his/her needs until a certain age. | Adopting a child means welcoming home a child forever. |
| Foster care does not make you the legal parents of the child but only fostering parents with limited rights to the child. | Adoption makes you the legal parents of the child with all the rights as a parent. |
| The biological parents (if any) of the child in foster care have the final decision on crucial matters. | After adoption, all the rights on the child are transferred to the legal parents and the biological parents no longer have any say in the child's matter. |
| Till a child, who has no parents, is in foster care, the state assumes all the rights of the child until the child is adopted. | After adoption, the legal parents have all the rights as that of a biological parent. |
Extending your family by welcoming your foster child can be a great initiative. You no longer have to stress over managing medical expenses for your growing family since Care Health Insurance is there to assist you. Quality healthcare is an essential part of foster care requirements and with Care Health Insurance plans, you can easily offer the best to your foster child.
The family health insurance plans offered by Care Health Insurance let you add legally adopted children as well. Under a single health insurance policy, you can get your whole family covered like spouse, and children including adopted children, parents, and in-laws. Some of the popular family floater health insurance plans by Care Health Insurance are:
Care Supreme health plan comes with a sum insured ranging from ₹7 lakh to ₹1 crore. You can include all your family members including your foster/adopted child under this plan. With a range of features and benefits, Care Supreme ensures your family is assisted in times of need.
Care Advantage Health Insurance is yet another popular plan with a sum insured option ranging from ₹25 lakh to ₹6 crore. The plan has the option of a family floater policy under which you can get your family covered. This comprehensive health plan with a high sum insured can be your ideal family health plan.
Fostering children in India requires parent(s) to fulfil certain legal requirements and eligibility criteria. Under the Juvenile Justice Act of 2016, model rules have been laid down for foster care. It specifies the rules for fostering children including the foster care parent requirements. The eligibility for fostering parents is as follows:
Providing a child with a much-needed nurturing environment and a stable life through fostering is a boon for humanity. Every child deserves to get a chance to thrive in life even if their biological parents are no longer capable of taking care of them. Giving back to humanity in the form of fostering children or through adoption is noble.
Care Health Insurance desires to be a part of your journey as a foster parent and ease the part of quality healthcare of foster caring. Access to quick, comprehensive and quality healthcare has been made possible through a family health plan that allows foster parents to include their foster kids.
Disclaimers: The above information is for reference purposes only: Policy Assurance and Claims at the underwriter's discretion.
Published on 16 Nov 2024
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