Adoption, kinship care, and foster care are the oldest known forms of alternative care in India. Whilst these are recognized as the most appropriate forms of care today, institutional care has become the most dominant form of care in India in the last 100 years, although it is meant to be ‘a measure of last resort’. As in most countries, childcare institutions in India cater for children up to 18 years old. The sudden withdrawal of support at 18 leaves these young people facing heightened challenges and poorer outcomes on the journey to independence, not only because of their fractured pasts but also due to a lack of planned interventions towards preparing them for life. This paper, based on an extensive desk review, chronologically examines the evolution of aftercare laws and practices in India along with the factors that contributed to the rise of institutional care. Reference is made to the influence of the criminal justice system on aftercare and the impact of India's ratification of United Nations Convention on Rights of the Child, the movement from a welfare to rights‐based approach. The paper concludes by discussing the current challenges and the possible way forward for care leavers in India.

中文翻译：

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印度休假护理法律，政策和惯例的发展

收养，亲属照料和寄养是印度最古老的替代照料形式。尽管目前公认这些护理是最合适的护理形式，但在过去的100年中，机构护理已成为印度最主要的护理形式，尽管它被认为是“万不得已的一种措施”。与大多数国家一样，印度的儿童保育机构可以照顾18岁以下的儿童。18岁那年突然撤回支持，使这些年轻人在独立的道路上面临着更大的挑战和更差的结果，这不仅是因为他们过去的经历已经破裂，而且由于缺乏有计划的干预措施来为他们的生活做准备。本文基于广泛的案头审查，按时间顺序分析了印度善后护理法律和惯例的演变，以及造成机构护理兴起的因素。提到了刑事司法制度对善后工作的影响以及印度批准《联合国儿童权利公约》的影响，即从福利转向基于权利的做法。最后，本文讨论了印度护理人员面临的当前挑战和可能的前进之路。