Kerala’s baby cradle scheme hits milestone: 1,000th infant rescued
It was on the eve of Christmas in 2002
On the night of December 24, 2002, at around 1:30 am, a siren sounded in the nursing station of the Kerala State Council for Child Welfare (KSCCW) in Thiruvananthapuram. This was a significant moment – the 'Ammathottil' (mother cradle) facility, located in front of the building, had received its 1,000th infant that day. A few days-old baby girl, named Sahasra, was brought in, weighing 2.57 kilograms.
General Secretary GL Arun Gopi named the infant, expressing hope that she would lead a dignified life. Of the 1,000 infants received since the project's inception in 2002, 97% have been adopted by families in India and abroad. 681 were girls and 319 were boys. Over 65% of the infants were received at the facility in Thiruvananthapuram.
The idea of 'Ammathottil' was conceived after several heartbreaking instances of infants being abandoned or harmed. The facility, with its electronic doors and sensors, provides a safe and anonymous way for parents to surrender their infants. Once received, the infant is given urgent medical care, assessed for health complications, and placed in a government hospital for further examination.
If the infant is medically fit, they are brought to the KSCCW or district adoption centers for adoption. If the parents claim the child within 60 days, DNA tests are conducted to verify their claim. The KSCCW has a staff of 110 professionals dedicated to providing special health plans and care for each infant.
Written by urgent.news from Hindustan Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
