Founder

Mrs. Mohini Raghunath, founder, and secretary of CWD has had a long and distinguished career in the field of child welfare in India. Her scholarship, vision, and commitment to the cause of the ‘disadvantaged child’ was the stuff of legends. Since the 1970s, key policy initiatives, and path-breaking legislation ideas in the field of child welfare in India, especially adoption and sponsorship had been realized under her signature.

A Delhi School of Social Work graduate (class of 1952), Mrs. Mohini Raghunath started her career at a Maharashtra Government-run beggar’s home in Mumbai. In 1976, she joined the Indian Council of Social Welfare (ICSW) as an advisor. There, under the guidance of Ms. Simone Tata, she authored trend-setting guidelines for inter-country adoption. She also represented India at the UN International Study Group on Adoption at Geneva. Her paper on inter-country adoption accurately diagnosed the ills of the then prevailing system and came up with a detailed solutions-based plan. The plan, was later ratified by the Supreme Court of India and served as a point of reference for the ensuing legislation pertaining to inter-country adoption.

In the 1970s, when adoption in India was uncommon and carried a stigma, with little or no public debate on the subject, Mrs. Raghunath became an ardent advocate for adoption. She framed guidelines for identifying suitable surrogate parents, treating abandoned children, and counselling parents. Her views were respected by the courts of the day.

In sponsorship, too, Mrs. Raghunath played a pioneering role. She firmed up guidelines for selecting distressed communities in cities, targeting vulnerable families and children for the delivery of benefit programmes.

In 1982, at the urging of Children of the World Norway, she established Children of the World Bombay. Her personal living room served as the first office of the newly-minted NGO. Ms. Simone Tata was the organization’s first President.

Subsequently, Mrs. Mohini Raghunath re-located to Delhi, where she founded Children of the World Delhi in 1991. This time, too, her house became the first office of CWD; and her flat in Vasant Kunj was turned into Mamta Child Care Centre. In 2007, both the offices were moved to Dwarka when CWD built its own building there.