UNIT 18: Adoption and Foster Care Agencies,
Rehabilitation Centers, Sponsorship Programmes
Introduction
Family social work focuses on strengthening, supporting, and empowering families. When
families face problems like poverty, illness, addiction, abandonment, or violence, family
social workers help them rebuild, heal, and grow. In many cases, social workers also work
with outside agencies such as adoption and foster care agencies, rehabilitation centers, and
sponsorship programmes to ensure family wellbeing and child protection.
1. Adoption and Foster Care Agencies
Definition:
These are organizations that help children who cannot live with their biological parents to
find safe, loving, and permanent homes through adoption or temporary care through
foster care.
Functions:
● Identify children in need of care and protection.
● Assess and prepare adoptive or foster families.
● Match children with suitable families.
● Provide pre- and post-placement counseling and follow-up services.
● Ensure the child's rights and well-being are protected.
Role of Social Workers:
● Conduct home studies and background checks.
● Guide prospective parents through the legal and emotional process.
● Offer counseling to biological parents, children, and adoptive families.
● Monitor the child’s adjustment and development.
Role of Family Social Work Practice:
● Assessment of Families: Social workers assess the capacity of families to adopt or
foster a child through interviews, home visits, and background checks.
● Counseling Services: Provide emotional support to biological parents who may be
surrendering a child, and to adoptive or foster families to prepare them.
● Placement and Monitoring: Ensure the child is placed in a safe, loving home and
regularly monitor the child’s adjustment.
● Support for Reunification: In foster care, if the biological family improves, social
workers help reunite the child with their original family.
Example:
● CARINGS (India) – Central Adoption Resource Information Guidance System.
● Child Welfare Committees (CWCs) collaborate with adoption agencies.
2. Rehabilitation Centers
Definition:
Rehabilitation centers are institutions that provide care, therapy, and support to help
individuals recover from physical, mental, emotional, or social challenges such as
addiction, trauma, disability, or imprisonment.
Types:
● Drug and alcohol rehabilitation (for substance abuse)
● Mental health rehabilitation
● Physical rehabilitation (after injury or surgery)
● Social rehabilitation (for reintegration of prisoners, sex workers, trafficking
survivors)
Functions:
● Provide medical, psychological, and social therapies.
● Skill development and vocational training.
● Support reintegration into family and society.
● Monitor progress and prevent relapse.
Role of Social Workers:
● Individual and group counseling.
● Family involvement and education.
● Community awareness programs.
● Follow-up care and social reintegration planning.
Role of Family Social Work Practice:
● Support to Families of Addicts or Mentally Ill: Educate families on the condition,
reduce stigma, and involve them in the recovery process.
● Family Counseling: Help resolve strained relationships, improve communication,
and build support systems within the family.
● Reintegration Planning: Prepare both the individual and the family for reintegration
after rehabilitation (e.g., after de-addiction or mental health treatment).
● Referral and Advocacy: Connect families with community resources, housing, or job
training after rehabilitation.
Example:
● NIMHANS (India) – Offers rehabilitation for mental illness.
● De-addiction centers run by NGOs or hospitals.
3. Sponsorship Programmes
Definition:
Sponsorship programs are financial support systems that help children or families from
economically weaker sections to meet their basic needs like education, health care, food,
and shelter.
Objectives:
● Prevent child labor and school dropouts.
● Strengthen families and prevent child separation.
● Empower marginalized communities.
● Ensure holistic development of children.
Types:
● Individual Sponsorship – One child is sponsored by a donor.
● Community Sponsorship – Funds are used for a group of children or community
development.
Role of Social Workers:
● Identify eligible children and families.
● Coordinate with sponsors and funding organizations.
● Monitor child's growth, education, and health.
● Maintain transparency and accountability.
Role of Family Social Work Practice:
● Identification of Vulnerable Families: Locate families living in poverty or facing
social exclusion who need support for their children’s education or health.
● Linking with Sponsorship: Help families enroll in sponsorship programs that
provide financial aid, school fees, or medical help.
● Monitoring and Reporting: Ensure that funds or support provided by sponsors are
used effectively and that children benefit from the assistance.
● Empowerment and Sustainability: Help families become self-reliant through
livelihood support or skill-building while receiving sponsorship aid
Example:
● SOS Children’s Villages
● World Vision India Sponsorship Programme
● Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS) – includes sponsorship as a preventive
measure.
Conclusion
Family social work practice plays a crucial role in helping vulnerable families cope with
complex problems. By working in close coordination with adoption and foster care
agencies, rehabilitation centers, and sponsorship programmes, social workers protect
children, strengthen family bonds, and support long-term wellbeing. They act as bridges
between families and support systems, promoting healing, growth, and resilience.
