SOS Children's Villages of India

SOS Children's Villages India is committed to giving each needy child the right environment for favourable growth and development. It provides a famil Read morey to abandoned and orphaned children along with shelter, education and a positive environment to ensure all-round growth of the child. SOS Children’s Villages India believes that every child has the right to have a family and it forms the core value of the organisation's efforts. The organisation has been invited to several national level forums like the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights and the Department of Women and Child Development, to speak of its successful programmes. It has been felicitated with many awards for its initiatives like the Great Place to Work Award, Best Child Care Institute Award, CRISIL Certificates, Best Community Programme Leadership and Breakthrough Innovation in Corporate Social Responsibility.

Our VISION:

EVERY CHILD BELONGS TO A FAMILY
Family is the heart of society. Within a family each child is protected and enjoys a sense of belonging. Here, children learn values, share responsibilities and form life-long relationships. A family environment gives them a solid foundation on which to build their lives.

EVERY CHILD GROWS WITH LOVE
Through love and acceptance, emotional wounds are healed and confidence is built. Children learn to trust and believe in themselves and others. With this self-assurance each child can recognize and fulfill his or her potential.

EVERY CHILD GROWS WITH RESPECT
Each child’s voice is heard and taken seriously. Children participate in making decisions that affect their lives and are guided to take a leading role in their own development. The child grows with respect and dignity as a cherished member of his or her family and society.

EVERY CHILD GROWS WITH SECURITY
Children are protected from abuse, neglect and exploitation and are kept safe during natural disaster and war. Children have shelter, food, health care and education. These are the basic requirements for the sound development of all children.

Our MISSION:

The first SOS Children’s Village was founded by Hermann Gmeiner, an Austrian philanthropist , in 1949 in Imst, Austria. Since then, the organization has been active and expanding throughout the world. At present, SOS Children’s Villages is active in over 136 countries and territories with over 500 SOS Children’s Villages and 400 SOS Youth Facilities striving for the welfare of the children in need of care and protection.
In India, the organisation caters to over 25,000 children and there are 32 SOS Children’s Villages in 22 states in India.
As an independent non-governmental social development organisation:

We take action for children in need of care and protection.
We respect varying religions and cultures, and we work in communities where our mission can contribute to development.
We work in the spirit of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and we promote these rights through our flagship programmes, namely the Family Based Care and the Family Strengthening Programme.

With the SOS Children’s Village concept, our organisation has pioneered a family approach to the long-term care of orphaned and abandoned children in India.

SOS Children's Villages of India has been working since over five decades providing children without parental care or at the risk of losing it, a value chain of quality care services that goes beyond childcare alone, ensuring wholesome child development. Our long-term customized care interventions such as, Family Like Care, Special Needs Childcare, Individual Foster Care, Short Stay Homes, Family Strengthening, Kinship Care, Emergency Childcare, Education and Youth Skilling are aimed at transforming lives and making children into self-reliant and contributing members of society. As an NGO for children, we understand the importance of preventing child abandonment which is why we empower vulnerable families in communities to become financially independent, thereby enabling them to create safe and nurturing spaces for children under their care.
Our Reach : 6700 children under Family like care Programme,35000 children reached and a total of 68000 beneficiaries under Family Strengthening,3000 Youth skilled,400+ children supported under Kinship Programme.
SOS Programmes in 32 locations in 22 states Pan India.

Implementation :

• Expanding FS, Kinship and youth skilling across India and partnering with govt. to start group foster care (FLC) in 2 provinces
• Implementing existing FLC Model with stringent gatekeeping and adhere to the quality standards and ensuring care promise & compliance in JJ Act (Juvenile Justice Act)
• Setting up of boys and girls care facility for life long care of special children above 18years
• Reaching out to children and families in Emergency relief situations
• Setting up retired mothers’ home and youth homes at selected location
• Strengthening safeguarding across the organization for children in all programs, assets, donors and co-workers
• Focus on employability of youths in all our programs and promote participation through Youth Can’ and youth coalition
• Focus on Vocational Training Centre and digital village in FS Community
• Optimization of resources and efficient succession at leadership position
• Robust performance management system and stringent financial control system
• Enhance local funding – Focus on FS fund raising, regular giving donations, Govt grant, corporate funding to meet expenses and expansion of our growth plan in program
• Digitized organization- Automation of key processes, digitization of records

Strategy:

• Invest in technology driven solutions and encouraging AI , ERP solutions
• Network and Alliances with CSO’s/Community Collectives/Leaders/Government
• Capacity Building to create an understanding of the needs of children and harness technology towards real-time information.
• Re-designing of care model implementation to suit the need of children (short stay – different programs in Short Stay/GFC/Couples, After care).
• Preparation for Disaster Management/Emergency cell
• Capacity Building of Co-workers/Succession Planning
• Developing tools and mechanism for youth and child participation in safeguarding

Challenges:
Natural Calamity
Retain the talent in the organization
Funds not raised as per the plan
Change of legislation in the country, impacting workforce