14 Nov 2024|Noida | Amity University
Symposium on “Advancing Evidence -Based Practices family Strengthening and Alternative Care”, held at Amity
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Amity Institute of Social Sciences, Amity University Noida, organised a Symposium on “Advancing Evidence -Based Practices Family Strengthening and Alternative Care”, in collaboration with Udayan Care NGO. The aim of the Symposium was to foster collaboration among key stakeholders to share insights and experiences in evidence generation, around family strengthening and alternative care.
Deliberating upon the topic, “The Importance of Evidence-Based Practices in Family Strengthening”, Professor (Dr) Murli Desai, International Social Work Educator, Former Professor, TISS, Mumbai, stated, “Evidence-based practices (EBPs) are essential in family strengthening initiatives as they ensure that programs and services are effective, efficient, and beneficial for families. It is crucial for every district to make a profile of children living with families and children living as orphans, so that policies can be made in the interest of the children. EBPs are proven to achieve better results, such as increased family stability, improved child well-being, and enhanced parent-child relationship.”
Addressing the gathering, Dr. Kiran Modi, Founder and Managing Trustee, Udayan Care, averred, “In India, 29.6 million children live without parental care, which means they lack the oversight of at least one of their parents. These children, who have been temporarily or permanently separated from their biological families, need protection in the form of quality alternative care. The grave reality is that only 1.5% receive any sort of formal alternative care. Udayan Care addresses this issue and strongly believes that residential care should always be the last resort, and there should be a greater emphasis on family strengthening and community-based care.”
Dr Nirupama Prakash, Director, Amity Institute of Social Sciences said, “The landscape of child protection in India is evolving with a significant shift from institutional care to family strengthening and family-based care alternatives. This Symposium aims to forge long-term sustainable partnerships between the academia and practitioners to promote research, innovative methodologies that offer practical insights in the field of family strengthening.”
The Symposium concluded with a Panel Discussion and a Workshop. Also present on the occasion were the faculty and students of Amity Institute of Social Sciences.