A child in Chennai who cannot be fully looked after at home does not have to go into a children’s home. Under the Union and state child protection scheme, Mission Vatsalya, a struggling family can get sponsorship money to keep the child at home and in school. Where the parents cannot cope at all, the child can be placed with a vetted foster family. Both routes run through the District Child Protection Unit and the Child Welfare Committee.
Tamil Nadu’s welfare department says it treats adoption, foster care and sponsorship as the first choices, with institutions as a last resort. In practice, many more children are still in homes than in families. This guide explains each option and how a relative, neighbour or teacher can get the process started.
Sponsorship and foster care: what is the difference
A district child protection unit page sets out the two terms:
- Sponsorship is extra money given to the child’s own family, or to relatives caring for the child, to meet education, health, nutrition and other needs. The child stays where they are.
- Foster care places a child for a time with another family, either relatives or unrelated people. The birth parents keep their parental rights, which is how it differs from adoption.
Mission Vatsalya guidelines set the sponsorship amount at ₹4,000 a month per child, to cover education, nutrition, medical and other needs. That figure appears in a district notice inviting applications, which describes the beneficiaries as destitute children up to 18 years of age. The same national scheme funds Tamil Nadu. Confirm the current amount and any income limit with the Chennai unit.
How many children are in each kind of care
In a Lok Sabha reply of 2 August 2024, the Union government said Tamil Nadu supported 10,118 children in institutional care and 5,411 in non-institutional care in 2023-24. The second figure covers sponsorship, foster care and after-care together.
The state’s 2024-25 performance budget shows how many places in the state’s own homes were empty. Its 36 government children’s homes had 2,308 sanctioned places but an average of 1,394 children in 2023-24. The Chennai homes had these figures:
| Government children’s home | Sanctioned places | Average children, 2023-24 |
|---|---|---|
| Kellys, Chennai 600010 | 135 | 50 |
| Royapuram, Chennai 600013 | 114 | 50 |
| Waltax Road | 50 | 22 |
| Kosapet | 50 | 23 |
NGO-run homes with state aid cared for another 9,345 children in 2023-24, against a target of 11,662. The department’s policy note says it has an action plan to strengthen foster care by finding suitable families.
Who decides, and how to start
Every district has a Child Welfare Committee under the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015. It has the final say on what happens to a child in need of care and protection, including a placement in sponsorship or foster care. The District Child Protection Unit does the groundwork: home visits, reports and payments.
- If you know a child at risk, for example after a parent’s death or imprisonment, or a child out of school because the family cannot cope, call Childline on 1098 or contact the Chennai District Child Protection Unit.
- If you are a relative already caring for the child, ask the unit about sponsorship. Expect a home visit and requests for school records and proof of the family’s situation.
- If you want to foster, register your interest with the unit. Families are assessed and trained before any child is placed, and placements are reviewed.
The State Child Protection Society, which oversees the district units, is at 300 Purasawakkam High Road, Kellys, Chennai 600010.
The state’s Anbu Karangal scheme
On 15 September 2025, the previous government launched Anbu Karangal at Kalaivanar Arangam in Chennai. It pays ₹2,000 a month to children who have lost their parents, to support their schooling, ETV Bharat reported. It also promised help with college admission and skill training after Class 12. We could not confirm the scheme’s status under the present government, so check with the district unit.
After 18: after-care
Young people leaving homes at 18 can get after-care support while they move to independent living. The state runs three after-care homes, in Athur (Chengalpattu district) and Madurai for young men and in Vellore for young women. Together they have 250 sanctioned places, but they averaged only 27 residents in 2023-24.
Quick answers
How much is Mission Vatsalya sponsorship?
₹4,000 a month per child under the scheme guidelines. Confirm the current amount locally.
Do foster parents get the child permanently?
No. Foster care is temporary and the birth parents keep their rights. Permanent placement needs legal adoption.
Who approves a placement?
The district Child Welfare Committee.
Whom do I call about a child at risk in Chennai?
Childline 1098, or the Chennai District Child Protection Unit.
Information checked against official sources on 18 October 2026. Fees, dates and rules can change; confirm on the linked official pages before acting.
Sources
- District Child Protection Unit: foster care and sponsorship (Thanjavur District Administration)
- Social Welfare and Women Empowerment Department Performance Budget 2024-25 (Government of Tamil Nadu)
- Social Welfare and Women Empowerment Department Policy Note 2024-25 (Government of Tamil Nadu)
- Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 1863 on Mission Vatsalya, 2 August 2024 (Lok Sabha Digital Library)
- Invitation of applications under Mission Vatsalya scheme (Tamenglong District Administration, Manipur)
- Tamil Nadu CM launches Anbu Karangal scheme (ETV Bharat, September 2025)
