SOS-India has undertaken this programme in response to the need of many children who are deprived of their right to a caring family environment and their basic material, emotional; health and educational needs are neglected because their care-givers lack the capacity or commitment to adequately care for their children. Our family strengthening work aims to empower families and communities to protect and care for their children, using a step-by-step family development planning process. The Programme reaches out to children under 18 years of age and their families and it is directed towards the family as a whole, including parents/care givers. While the vulnerable children are our target group and are the primary beneficiaries of the programme, their parents/care givers are also supported through the programme to develop their capacity to protect and care for their children on their own. A package of services is made available to the family including support for nutrition, health, education as well skill building activities. SOS Social & Medical Centres support the implementation of the programme.

Families participate in the programme from the very outset of need assessment and family development planning. Awareness is generated in the community on child rights, hygiene, active participation in the governance and decision making processes so that the families generate a lot of self confidence to actively seek their rights and make their presence felt in the community decision making processes. The direct adult beneficiaries are encouraged to form self help groups and capabilities are generated with the help of government structures or experienced NGOs to provide them important skills to manage their own groups effectively and grow in the process. The groups also engage themselves in income generating activities after appropriate skill training is imparted. Those who already possess some skills are supported to start their own small businesses with help towards procuring start-up capital either through banks or through other micro finance institutions. Parents are also made aware of skills to manage the emotional needs of their children so that children grow up with care, love and respect within their families and communities.

Children and a whole gamut of other stakeholders like Panchayat leaders, grassroots women activists, health workers, police, government child programming officials, teachers and parents are made aware of children's rights in the context of their development and graduation into responsible and socially skilled human beings. Children's emotional stress, their communication abilities, difficulties in teaching-learning transaction processes, digital awareness, age appropriate career counselling, participation in taking decisions for their career or furtherance of educational opportunities are also addressed with involvement of their parents, experts and organisations working on such issues. An active network of individuals and organisations is promoted at each place for protection of child rights and preventing rights violations.

Elder children who can secure seats in government technical or vocational educational institutions or have the capability to pursue such courses are also encouraged and assisted to undergo training which will help them get into jobs or generate earning capabilities through alternative avenues in a time bound manner. This is seen as a quick family empowerment mechanism and has been consciously adopted in many locations.

Partnerships are fostered in order to enrich the content and impact of our programme as well as to bring in durability and sustainability so that the response mechanism endures even after we conclude active support to the concerned families. The involvement of communities where the families live is seen as a key to the success of the programme and the families are encouraged to participate in community activities to establish their identity as an important and contributing section of the community. This serves as a powerful tool for long term family empowerment.