Orphan Care and Empowerment

The General Administration for Orphan Care, under the Agency for Rehabilitation and Social Guidance, is the authority responsible for overseeing and supervising all matters related to orphans and their welfare. It aims to establish general policies for the care of orphaned children and those of similar status, ensuring their inclusion in programs of care, upbringing, and reform in accordance with the tolerant principles of Islamic Sharia, employing modern scientific methods through residential homes, institutional care facilities, and social housing. It also monitors their care within foster and friendly families.

This refers to a family undertaking the full and permanent care of an orphan under the Ministry’s supervision, in a manner that ensures the child’s psychological security, emotional well-being, and acquisition of sound social values and customs. The orphaned child becomes a member of the family in accordance with the relevant Sharia regulations governing this matter. The services provided to the family and the orphan include:

Financial Assistance:

A monthly allowance for each child under care, amounting to SAR 2,000 for a child under six years of age. A monthly allowance of SAR 3,000 for a child over six years of age. A grant of SAR 20,000 for each boy or girl upon the completion of the foster care period.

Social and Psychological Services:

Children placed with foster families are subject to continuous supervision and follow-up by Mawaddah Family Development Association and the Ministry’s branches.

Educational Services:

Support for public and private general education, as well as domestic and international scholarships. Payment of tuition fees for general education for students with special needs. Payment of tuition fees for private universities and institutes.

Marriage Support:

A grant of SAR 60,000 is awarded to both male and female orphans upon marriage.

Health Services:

Inclusion of fostered orphans in the medical insurance policy of the head of the household, equal to other family members. Registration of the fostered orphan in the foster family’s file within the “Sehhaty” application.

This program is designed to support orphaned children who have not had the opportunity to be placed in foster care, by entrusting them to families willing to provide partial care under an organized system. Pursuant to this system, a family within the community establishes a relationship with one or more orphaned children residing in a social residential care home affiliated with the Agency for Social Care and Development. The purpose is for the family to host the child for specified periods, such as during holidays (Eid, weekends, or the summer vacation). At the end of the holiday or designated period, the child is returned to the residential home or institution in which he or she resides.

Residential care services work to provide care for and prepare orphans for integration into society by delivering comprehensive support through nursery homes, social education homes, and social housing facilities.

The following services are provided:

1. Provision of accommodation and comprehensive care for the orphaned child.

2. Provision of meals in accordance with health standards and under medical supervision.

3. Disbursement of monthly allowances and management of investment accounts.

4. Periodic health follow-up and preventive medical examinations for children.

5. Provision of clothing appropriate to the child’s age and gender, in accordance with specifications prepared by specialists.

6. Social, psychological, and educational care.

7. Recreational and cultural programs, as well as internal and external activities.

The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development has automated many of its services related to orphan affairs in order to facilitate access through the Ministry’s electronic platform as quickly and efficiently as possible. This step forms part of the Ministry’s broader initiatives under the National Transformation Program. Key services include:

1. Submission of requests for official endorsements or intercessions on behalf of orphaned children.

2. Printing identification letters for foster families.

3. Submission of applications for the marriage grant.

4. Application for foster care placement.

5. Communication with customers (beneficiaries) and responding to their inquiries by telephone and electronically.

The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, represented by the General Administration for Orphan Care, works to promote the spirit of independence among orphans by developing rehabilitation and training pathways and programs for orphans with special circumstances, and by qualifying them to obtain employment opportunities aligned with labor market requirements.

1. Supporting university education by granting study seats at public universities, providing scholarships for domestic and international study, and covering tuition fees at private universities.

2. Developing and enhancing the children’s capabilities and skills by covering the costs of specialized training courses and professional certification licenses.

3. Supporting private university education in partnership with the private sector by covering tuition fees for orphaned students enrolled in private universities. This initiative has contributed to improving educational opportunities for orphans to complete their university studies, fully covering tuition costs, increasing their prospects of acceptance into the labor market, and enabling them to build stable professional futures.

Training and qualifying beneficiaries for the labor market through partnerships with institutes and academies specialized in development and professional training.

Employment

Empowering orphans with special circumstances (rehabilitation, training, and employment) in cooperation with relevant employment sectors, the Human Resources Development Fund (Hadaf), and the non-profit sector, with the aim of providing suitable job opportunities for orphans seeking employment and ensuring their job stability.

Providing residential units for young women with special circumstances who wish to achieve full independence from residential care services, by enabling them to own private housing in accordance with specified criteria, along with offering aftercare services aimed at empowering them and facilitating their integration into society.