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 CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION

            Kerala, known as ‘God’s own country’ invites the attention of the whole world by its rich and varied cultural heritage.  Kerala, with its high literacy rate and improved health standards and comparatively better socio-economic situations is at par with the developed countries of the world in several development indicators. 

            Our state with all these graces has another vicious face too.  A large number of people are still devoid of the deserving care and shelter.  There are a large number of orphans and destitutes living on the mercy of others.  They include infants who are abandoned by their parents, children whose parents are lost, people who are abandoned by their dear ones due to diseases and various other reasons and old people who are not taken care of by the family due to poverty and other reasons. 

            There are various care institutions in the state owned by the government and private individuals and institutions.  Some are voluntarily organized and others are owned by private individuals.  Social welfare department has been formulating different plans to rehabilitate or to render assistance to these destitutes.  It has implemented various schemes in this regard to better the condition of these destitutes. 

            The transition of the social structure from joint family system to nuclear families has catalysed the insecurity feeling among the members.  In a joint family system,  one could rely upon the other members of the family during hard times.  But in a nuclear family, the entire burden is on the shoulders of the head and spouse of the family. 

            In order to make both ends meet, the husband and wife of the family have to work, giving it the priority second to none.  Hence the responsibility to look after the children, aged parents, disabled members of the family etc are entrusted with day care centers, old age homes or other similar institutions in several cases.  There are other institutions like those for destitutes, orphanages and juvenile homes for abandoned and poor children functioning in our state.  The number of these care homes are on the rise day by day.  Hence the department conducted a detailed survey (census) to know the magnitude of the problem. 

Objectives of the survey 

1)

To ascertain the number of orphanages, old age homes and institutions for destitutes and other types of carehomes.

2)

To ascertain the number of inmates in these institutions.

3)

To find out the infrastructure facilities, fee structure, the various assistances these institutions received from the government.  

4)

To study the details of employees of these institutions.

5)

To study the assistance they receive from within and outside the state and from foreign countries.

6)

To know the conditions for admission to these institutions, the financial or other helps expected from these inmates by these institutions.

7)

To study the various problems faced by these institutions.

8)

To study the recreation facilities these institutions provide to their inmates.

9)

To collect details regarding the rehabilitation measures taken by these institutions

10)

To prepare a directory of these institutions.

 

Conduct of the Survey 

            The fieldwork of the survey was done in all the 14 districts in the state by the investigators of this department in addition to their normal duties under the guidance and instructions of the Directorate.  The Deputy Directors and other District Level Officers in the districts and Taluk Statistical Officers and Statistical Inspectors at the taluks supervised the field works and other works connected with the survey.           

            The investigators visited all the offices of the Social Welfare Department, Municipalities/ Municipal Corporations/Panchayaths and other institutions and persons and listed the registered and unregistered care homes in the state. The details of unregistered institutions were collected by local enquiry.  All these institutions were visited in person and details collected.

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