Photo: Nepal’s first foster child placement (The Himalayan Innovative Society / Forget Me Not / Hope and Homes for Children)
In Nepal, the absence of foster care left orphanages as the default for children without parental care. Working with local partners Forget Me Not and The Himalayan Innovative Society, and with local and national government, our team in Nepal have helped introduce the country’s first formal foster care system.
For years, if a child could not live safely with their parents in Nepal, there were very few options. Most often, they were sent to an orphanage (locally referred to as a Child Care Home). Around 90% of orphanages in Nepal are privately run, many funded from overseas. Yet most of the children living in them are not orphans. They have families facing poverty, crisis, or a lack of support.
That’s why, working closely with local partners Forget Me Not and The Himalayan Innovative Society, alongside local and national government – and financially supported by the Martin James Foundation – we set out to help build something that did not previously exist: a formal foster care system in Nepal.
Bringing the plan to life
When this work began, foster care in Nepal was largely theoretical and informal. There were no formal guidelines, no trained foster carers, and no clear process for placing children with families under the supervision of local authorities. Our Head of Learning and Engagement Otto Sestak explains the challenge:
“At first, foster care felt like a strange and unfamiliar concept. As defined in Western social work, it seemed completely alien in the Nepali context.”
Together with our partners and government counterparts, we worked to change that by developing an approach firmly and deliberately rooted in a Nepali context. The pilot was implemented in two municipalities, working directly with local government structures to ensure ownership and sustainability.
How the system was built
We wanted to bring children Back to Family and build a system that will support them. Our role was to provide technical support to partners and government, including designing and delivering training on foster care, its role in care reform, and how it should be implemented.
“The first step was finding common ground with partner teams by focusing on shared principles and values, rather than specific technical models. The next step was adapting foster care to the local context.” – Otto Sestak
Once the core approach was agreed, support continued through a remote helpdesk, providing ongoing advice to local teams as they worked through real cases.
Local teams then led engagement at both municipal and grassroots level, helping communities understand and accept foster care.
A milestone for Nepal
After three years of work, 56 potential foster carers had been identified, 52 trained, and 15 formally approved and registered by local authorities.
In a landmark moment, the first formal foster care placements in Nepal were authorised and started in February 2025.
“Seeing the first young child move from a vulnerable situation into loving and safe family filled me with deep happiness and a sense of security, and strengthened my belief that foster care is possible in our community” – Phunjok Namgyal Lama, Senior Reintegration Officer at The Himalayan Innovative Society
What happens next
The work doesn’t stop with placement. Both children and foster families need support to adjust. That includes counselling, monitoring, and help accessing services, ensuring stability and helping relationships to grow.
At the same time, we continue working with partners and government to strengthen and scale up the system. This includes developing practical policies, linking foster care with wider family support services, and ensuring it becomes a sustainable part of Nepal’s child protection system.
A shared achievement
This progress has been made possible through close collaboration between local organisations, government, and communities. Together, we have shown that change is possible, and with the generous support of our donors, we have begun to implement that change on the ground.
For the first time, Nepal has a formal foster care model. One that reflects its context, is led locally, and offers children a real alternative to orphanages.
And for the children at the heart of this work, it means something simple, but life changing. Growing up in a family.
