Also known as Where Are India's Children-WAIC, the Foundation helps children in India's shelters reach the legal adoption system.

**Where Are India's Children** (registered as Child Welfare and Action Foundation) was founded by three adoptive mothers in 2019, to ensure that every abandoned and orphaned child in India’s shelters reaches the legal adoption pool. 

To date, WAIC has:

- Digitized the records of **21,000+** children in shelters 
- Helped declare **440+** children legally free for adoption
- Trained **1,500+** stakeholders in three states – Maharashtra, Telangana, Karnataka

**The Problem**

Despite hundreds of thousands of children living in Child Care Institutions (CCIs aka shelters), very few enter the legal adoption pool. Gaps in documentation, outdated records, lack of training, and an overburdened system makes these children "invisible" and they continue to be stuck in institutional care until they age out of the system.

**WAIC’s Approach**

WAIC bridges the gap between shelters and families through five key pillars:

1. **Technology (CLMS):** Our *Child Lifecycle Management Solution* digitises case records of children living in shelters, and uses algorithms to identify children eligible for adoption, reducing administrative delays.
2. **Fieldwork:** Our teams work at the district level to complete documentation and support legal proceedings to declare children legally free for adoption.
3. **Capacity Building/Training:** We train CCI staff and government officers on legal regulations and case resolution.
4. **Awareness & Advocacy:** We promote the Safe Surrender Law to prevent unsafe abandonment and advocate for policy reforms that prioritise family-based care over institutionalisation.
5. **Older Child & Special Needs Adoption:** Preparing parents and children for successful transitions.

Learn more about WAIC’s work here: [https://waic.in/](https://waic.in/)

**How You Can Help**

1. Donate today! 
2. Consider becoming a **Child Protection Patron – a committed donor** with insights into WAIC’s work and regular contact with the founders: [https://waic.in/5-5-commitment/](https://waic.in/5-5-commitment/)
3. Follow WAIC on LinkedIn and repost to amplify WAIC’s reach: [https://www.linkedin.com/company/waic-in/](https://www.linkedin.com/company/waic-in/)

**Contact WAIC**

Email us at [team@waic.in](mailto:team@waic.in) or feel free to connect with the founders on LinkedIn.
**Meera Marthi - linkedin.com/in/meeramarthi**
**Protima Sharma - linkedin.com/in/protimasharma**
**Smriti Gupta - linkedin.com/in/smgupta**


Child Welfare and Action Foundation

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