Aarthi Ramalingam

RAISED
$ 0
GOAL USD 1,000
FUNDERS
0


0% FUNDED

Kinship Care

The Kinship Care program was started by Bala Mandir India in July 2021 after the devastation caused by COVID, to support children who had lost one or both parents. Over the past few years, it has been expanded to support families struggling with the loss of a breadwinner due to other causes too. The program has had a major impact on the lives of the children who get ongoing holistic support enabling them to reach their full potential. It now supports over 1900 children from 1100 families in 19 districts of Tamil Nadu.

Growing up as a child without the love and affection of one or both parents is indeed unfortunate. The pain is more if you are from a socially and economically disadvantaged family. In many cases, the breadwinner has passed away and the children and mother are staring at a bleak future.

The Kinship Care campaign seeks to raise funds to help us support and rebuild the lives of such children. Through the Kinship Care, the children are part of the “Virtual" Bala Mandir Family and benefit from a comprehensive set of services which provide financial, academic, social, emotional, and psychological support through their journey to adulthood. This is a unique feature of Kinship Care. Some of the key services are listed in the table below.

Cost of the Program :

The value the beneficiaries get out of the Kinship Care program is well above the average cost of supporting a child. Many of the programs being run for the benefit of the children and families are volunteer driven - by other NGOs and nonprofit organisations. At present the average cost of supporting a child is US$ 250 per annum. The breakup of the cost is as follows:

Sl Particulars Cost (USD)
1 School Fees 170
2 Social worker support 50
3 Events + Admin costs 30
Total Cost per child 250

Case Studies / Impact :

The Kinship Care program has given hope and confidence to a large number of families. Check out this video, to get an idea of the impact of the Kinship Care program

https://youtu.be/KJcx7a4RHUM?si=5AqwQYO5QPV4YrU2

The Kinship Care (KC) Initiative :

Through Kinship Care we provide holistic care and support to the children, to enable them to realise their potential. All children are part of the “Virtual" Bala Mandir Home and benefit from the following initiatives:

Programs Impact
Early Childhood support Parents are able to deal with children calmly and with confidence
Payment of part of the school fees + Van/Auto Ensures no child drops out of school. An essential support for most of the families.
Online Volunteer support for primary and middle school To improve foundational skills in English, Tamil and Maths
Advanced training for children with high potential Bright kids coached online to prepare for competitive exams.
Support for children with special needs and special talent Special support on need basis + Individual child focus
Counselling and empowering mothers Help parents deal with adolescence issues
Create community for families to support each other
Social workers are available in times of need
Technology / Phone Provide laptops, tablets and top up mobile for online learning.
Mentoring/Tutoring / Test Prep – Older children Mentors guide, support and encourage the child for their personal growth.
Summer Camp Conducted annually to help the families connect better.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Related to payments
How can donations be made in USA ?

Donations can be made in one of three ways. Either checks made payable to “Bala Mandir USA” , and mailed to Bala Mandir USA, 9740 Lantana Way, Bethesda, MD 20817, USA, OR Zelle OR using Credit Card – see below

Will donations made to Bala Mandir USA be tax deductible ?

Yes, donations made to Bala Mandir USA would qualify for tax deduction under Section 501c(3) of the US tax code.

Can payment be made through Zelle ?

Donations can be made conveniently through Zelle, by US residents with US bank accounts, without the need for sharing any private information such as bank account numbers. Donors can access Zelle through their bank or credit union websites, or by downloading the Zelle app for Android or iOS. Donors can add, and designate BMU as the intended recipient in Zelle by entering its email id: balamandir.usa@balamandir.org, and then initiate the donation

Can payment be made using credit card ?

Yes. This has been enabled.

When do we get receipts ?

Donors will get an acknowledgement of their payment through email.

Can donations be made in India through the NRI account ?

Indian Citizens can make donation to Bala Mandir as per process given in the Bala Mandir India web site. The form provides the essential information needs to issue a receipt.

US Citizens who want to make donation to Bala Mandir through their NRI account in India can currently only issue cheque in favour of “Bala Mandir Kamaraj Trust” along with copy of their passport. Bala Mandir will arrange to deposit the same to their FCRA account in SBI New Delhi branch after filling the necessary declaration.

Related to the program
What has been the impact of the Kinship Care program so far ?

At the end of the third year, an impact study was done comparing the families who have recently joined the program and those who have been in the program for the past 2 to 3 years using standardised research tools. The results show a significant improvement in child outcome as well as a stronger maternal well being/ empowerment. For more details on the study please write to us and we will share the detailed report of this study.

Is non Covid death of parents covered under the program ?

YES. Over time the proportion of non-covid death is increasing and now 45% of children are from families which are non-covid cases.

How long will the children be supported ?

Till they are able to stand on their own. This period is not specifically defined and we hope to evolve processes for supporting the children even after they move out of school.

Is fees payment the only support ?

It is an important support, but KC program is all about holistic support to the beneficiaries. Our social workers are seen as extended members of the families of the children.

How do you monitor the progress of the child ?

We have a custom-built software called Dhruva K which is used by the Social Workers to track the day to day developments that happen in the project. All aspects of the child development and the program is entered into Dhruva and the data is accessible to the Social workers through cloud servers even when they are on the move.

How do you ensure program quality ?

We have virtual (weekly) meetings between management and the social workers; we schedule periodic physical meetings; we hold district wise annual meetings with the families; we have a plan for each child – individual child plan. We run age-appropriate programs with the help of volunteers. All our services and programs are monitored and reviewed constantly. Apart from the field social workers, every child / family is assigned a remote social worker to call and track the progress. There is also an internal audit system that has been put in place.

What feedback would the donors get about the program ?

Donors get regular updates about the program, including progress and status of the child/children they have sponsored. We also share details of the overall program status including Annual Reports.

Related to Volunteering
How does one volunteer for the reading program ?

“Happy Reading” is the flagship program of the Gnana Sharada Foundation. The focus is on children studying in the 3rd to 6th grades. The objectives are to get the child to read English fluently and also comprehend reading. Other by-products are improvement in English grammar, speaking simple sentences and overall improvement in confidence level.

Classes are over mobile – voice call or whatsapp video call, or sometimes through Google Meet. Typically, one volunteer to one child, so that the approach can be fine-tuned to suit the child’s learning. There are four levels, Beginner to Level 3 and the journey could take around 9 – 12 months to complete. Time commitment is 2 hours a week – 2 classes of an hour each.

Those interested can register as a volunteer using the link below.

How does one volunteer to teach foundational maths ?

Launched end of April 2025, the Happy Maths program aims to create a strong foundation in basic maths – foundational numeracy and maths topics taught in grades 4 to 6.

Aimed at children in standards 4 to 6, the program is online and duration two years. Volunteers teach on-line and time commitment is three classes a week of an hour each. Duration of the program is 2 years. The program in each year is divided into three levels, with abundant problems to practice, concept tests, chapter and end-of-term tests.

Those interested can register as a volunteer using the link below.

https://forms.gle/GDq559aZLWVZp89x8

Can we help the children through special online programs ?

YES. Please get in touch with us and we will be delighted to explain the opportunities available.

How do we refer children for the program ?

Please get in touch with us by writing a mail or by phone and we can take it from there.