Gandhinagar, Oct 29 (IANS) The Gujarat government has provided Rs 80.81 crore in financial assistance to 21,881 beneficiaries under its ‘Palak Mata-Pita Yojana’, or Foster Parent Scheme, in the financial year 2025-26, while 22,224 children received Rs 41.11 crore between April and September this year, according to official figures.
The scheme, implemented by the Social Justice and Empowerment Department, provides Rs 3,000 per month to support the education, healthcare and other needs of orphaned children aged up to 18 who are cared for by relatives or foster parents.
The assistance helps children continue their education while remaining in a family environment. Beneficiaries have said the monthly payments help cover school and tuition fees.
“Under the Palak Mata-Pita Yojana, we receive Rs 3,000 every month from the government. This has helped me a lot with my education, allowing me to attend tuition classes. I have been able to study a great deal with this assistance,” said Sneha Chaudhary, a beneficiary of the scheme.
Another beneficiary, Meet Patel, said the money had helped him meet his educational expenses. “A total of Rs 3,000 deposited into my account covered my school fees and tuition fees, providing me with great relief,” he said.
Patel added that he was pursuing MS-CIT and is about to complete his postgraduate course.
Applications for the scheme can be submitted online through the Social Justice and Empowerment Department’s portal.
The Child Welfare Committee examines applications and assesses the circumstances of the child before approving assistance.
Sanjay Patel, a child protection officer in Gandhinagar, said the scheme is intended to support orphaned children who were being raised by relatives, including maternal and paternal uncles and grandparents.
“Orphaned children are cared for by their maternal uncles, paternal uncles and grandparents. This scheme is specifically intended to support the education of such children. To apply for the Palak Mata-Pita Yojana, registration must be completed on the portal of the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment,” he said.
Alkaben Rawal, a member of the Child Welfare Committee in Ahmedabad, said the process involved preparing a care plan and conducting a home inspection before an order is issued to approve assistance under the sponsorship scheme.
“After receiving an application, we prepare a care plan for the child. Once the home inspection report and all the necessary documentation have been completed, we issue an order approving the child for benefits under the sponsorship scheme,” she said.
Rawal added that the sponsorship scheme and the Palak Mata-Pita Yojana shared the objective of ensuring that children are raised in a family environment.
The foster parent initiative is among several state programmes aimed at supporting children’s health, education and welfare.
Other schemes include the Vahli Dikri Yojana, Mukhyamantri Alpahaar Yojana, Digital Health Passport, Namo Saraswati Vigyan Sadhana Yojana and Namo Lakshmi Yojana.
–IANS
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