Alternative Care Policy to be rolled out from 2027 after teen childbirth case

Women and Child Affairs Minister Saroja Savithri Paulraj has announced that the Ministry will introduce an Alternative Care Policy from 2027 to protect vulnerable children. It follows the discovery of a 15-year-old girl and her newborn baby after an unsafe childbirth.

In a statement on November 14, the Minister said both the mother and the infant are currently safe. Authorities have been told to ensure their physical and mental well-being.

Paulraj said economic, social and political pressures, along with weakening parent-child communication, are increasingly putting minors at risk. She urged parents to build open dialogue and trust at home, and acknowledged that state institutions and frontline responders must become more accessible and trustworthy.