Delhi Govt, NGO join hands to support 350 children without parental care

In a step aimed at ensuring the care and protection of vulnerable children, the Department of Women and Child Development (WCD), Government of NCT of Delhi, has partnered with SOS Children’s Villages India to jointly implement the Government’s Sponsorship Scheme through the SOS India’s Kinship Care Programme. The five-year collaboration aims to provide holistic support to 350 children without parental care across Delhi.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on Wednesday between Mitali Namchoom, IAS, Director, Department of Women and Child Development, GNCTD, and Sumanta Kar, CEO, SOS Children’s Villages India, at the department’s headquarters in New Delhi. Senior officials from both institutions were also present at the ceremony.

Under the partnership, SOS Children’s Villages India will leverage its decades-long expertise in family-based alternative care to strengthen the Government’s Sponsorship Scheme. The initiative focuses on empowering caregivers and ensuring each child’s emotional, educational and physical development, fostering an environment where they can grow into confident, self-reliant individuals.

“Every child deserves the love, security, and stability of a family,” Namchoom, Director, WCD, said. “At the department, we believe the true measure of a society lies in how it cares for its most vulnerable members. This partnership reflects our shared vision to create a nurturing ecosystem where every child can grow up with dignity, surrounded by people who care for them deeply.”

She added that the collaboration would help preserve family bonds and cultural identity while ensuring that children’s emotional and material needs are met.

Echoing similar sentiments, Kar, CEO of SOS Children’s Villages India, said, “We have always believed that a child’s best interests are served when they grow up within a family, surrounded by love and belonging. Through the Kinship Care Programme, we will work hand-in-hand with caregivers to build their capacity, provide psychosocial and educational support, and ensure that children not only survive but truly flourish.”

The partnership will cover 350 children under the Kinship Care Programme across Delhi. Key focus areas include education, health and nutrition, emotional well-being, social inclusion, and regular caregiver training and child progress assessments.