The Children Home in Chennai was the starting point of Bala Mandir in 1949 and remains as its core activity even today. Over the years the Nagercoil Home was added. The Home in Chennai admits children (both boys and girls) below 6 years while the Nagercoil Home is exclusively for girls admitted above 5 years. The Home supports children who need care and protection and every child is admitted with the approval of the Child Welfare Committee and the working of the Home follows the prescribed regulations.
Bala Mandir is also an approved Specialised Adoption Agency, and all adoptions take place through the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA). Children are also given in foster care in some cases.
The activity of the Home covers all aspects related to the holistic development of the children admitted to full-time care in Bala Mandir’s Homes in Chennai and Nagercoil. The children are provided best of medical, education and other holistic support and an individual child plan is drawn up for each child and the same is reviewed on an ongoing basis. The children get best of educational support from the Bala Mandir schools and they have co-curricular and extra-curricular activities for their all-round development with social workers monitoring the children for their physical and psycho-social well-being.
Bala Mandir pays special attention to rehabilitation of the children back into their own homes and then on to society. Only the children who cannot be given for adoption or foster care and where the parent/guardian are not able to take care of them, grow up in Bala Mandir Homes. Bala Mandir monitors rehabilitation of older children and integration with the parent/guardian and society, as needed.
Discharge:
Normally children are discharged from the Home at 18 years of age and sometimes after 16 years – normally after completion of Standard X or XII. They are usually handed over into the custody of their guardians. However, Bala Mandir continues to support their Higher Education.
In some cases, the parent or family take the child back earlier since their circumstances have improved. The institution is most happy to place such children back with their family and continue to support them as needed.
Transfer to another institution happens in some exceptional cases where the child can get better medical care or vocational training.
Orphans who grow up in Bala Mandir, and have completed their education, either move to hostels outside or are provided with opportunities to work in the Bala Mandir Homes in various capacities. They are supported by Bala Mandir under the higher education programme which includes not only funding of their education but also mentoring support to guide them on an ongoing basis even after they move out. Bala Mandir even arranges for the marriage of orphan girls.
Care and Attention:
Over the years, Bala Mandir has developed child centered systems for providing care and attention for the holistic development of children in its care, based on well-defined age and developmentally appropriate parameters.
An in-house clinic with visiting doctors takes care of all medical problems and where necessary, referrals are undertaken and hospital care given, in the best interests of the child.
The well-equipped kitchen takes care of all the nutritious and well-balanced menus provided at breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner, sponsored by loving donors who often join the children at mealtimes.
Tutors, caregivers and senior children oversee study hour in the evenings and on holidays, and help to supplement schoolwork. Internet facilities for attending online classes are available to the children.
In their leisure time the Bala Mandir children enjoy themselves in the playroom, well- equipped with indoor games, toys and books especially suitable for each age group.
Children are encouraged and can benefit from good facilities for sports / yoga and opportunities to participate in various cultural functions to enable their all-round development along with an understanding of Indian culture. Value education is part of the routine and all festivals are celebrated to ensure a holistic understanding of the religious and social practices surrounding them.
Outings, entertainment programmes, and participation in competitions in and around Chennai, help the socialisation process of the children.
Children's Home infrastructure
Main Block for Girls:
This was the first building of Bala Mandir built in 1951-52. Initially it housed all the children, but now it houses junior and senior girls (age 6 to 18 years). It has recreational rooms for children and a Tailoring Section. It was renamed Ramnath Goenka Block in 1994, by the former President of India, Sri. R. Venkatraman. A statue of Bala Mandir founder Smt. Manjubhashini adorns the front of the building. This was inaugurated by Bharat Ratna Smt. M.S. Subbulakshmi on September 24, 1997.
Infant and Toddler Block:
Inaugurated by Smt. Indira Gandhi on June 7, 1959, the Sriman Srinivasa Iyengar Block was named Hospital Block since it was a ‘hospital’ for the children in the early days. Later, when better medical help was available outside, this became the Infant and Toddler section of Bala Mandir. It has a separate kitchenette and dining area for the little ones and a large play area in the front.
Daswani Block for Boys:
Donated by Smt. Gopi C. Daswani in memory of her husband Sri. Choitram T. Daswani, this building was inaugurated by Sri Prabhudas Patwari, Governor of Tamil Nadu in 1980. In the past this building was used as a Transit Home for senior orphan girls and functioned for a while as a Working Women’s Hostel for them. During that time, they did their own cooking and housekeeping and learnt many housekeeping skills. Later the Vidyalaya School operated in this building. Currently the building is used as the Home for the senior boys (age 6 and above).
Nagercoil Unit Buildings:
Built on the land bought by Bala Mandir Kamaraj Trust for the purpose, the first building was funded from the donation of Braade Stiftung and was inaugurated by Mr. Lars Odd Pettersen, Chairman, Braade Stiftung in 2004. The second building was added in 2017 with the support of Braade Stiftung. This was also inaugurated by Mr. Lars Odd Pettersen and this helped double the capacity of the Nagercoil Home.
Kitchen & Dining Hall:
The foundation stone for this building was laid by Sri. K. Kamaraj in 1967. Built with the help of a Government Grant and OXFAM, the kitchen has served nutritious meals to thousands of Bala Mandir children over the years. The kitchen has been modernised with the necessary equipment and a solar heating system. The dining hall is used, apart from mealtimes, for weekly common prayers, celebrating festivals and group activities. The Stores building was built with the help of Braade Stiftung, Denmark and inaugurated in 2002 by Michaela Hover, Member – Braade Stiftung.
Bala Mandir Cultural Centre:
The Bala Mandir Cultural Centre is a 250-seater auditorium which was inaugurated in 2019. It is located above the Dining Hall and serves as a multiple purpose hall which can be used for various cultural and other events internal to Bala Mandir. The hall has excellent acoustics and is equipped with audio-visual equipment of the highest quality.
Bala Mandir Research & Resource Centre:
Gifted by an anonymous donor, it was inaugurated in 1988 by H.E. Dr. P.C. Alexander, Governor of Tamil Nadu.
The first floor was later built and inaugurated in 2005 by the President of Bala Mandir, Sri. V. Sethuram. It was built with the help of Yoga Vereingung Rajagopalan e. v. Germany. It is a Resource Centre – with a hall for meetings and seminars, a Library Room and a guestroom for resource persons to stay.
The ground floor of the building initially had the Homeopathy / Paediatric clinics, Eye / Dental clinics, a Counselling room and the Bala Mandir Research and Resource Centre administrative office. While the office continues, the building now houses the Bala Mandir Creche and the recently inaugurated Khel Ghar – to provide homely atmosphere for the children and for the day scholar parents to interact with their wards.