Dear Friends,

First and foremost, please accept my sincere apologies for the delayed issue of Udayan Care's 'Sunrise'. There's a good reason for this delay! As the famous Roman poet, Ovid, said thousands of years ago, 'At times it is folly to hasten at other times, to delay. The wise do everything in its proper time'.

After 21 years, we at Udayan Care felt the time had come for us to re-evaluate ourselves and the way we interact with those we love and value - you. So here we are, with a new identity that marks a new beginning for us.

I feel an extreme rush of joy as we unveil our new logo. It beautifully summarises the nurturing and cheerful world we have created for our children as well as young women and men - founded on the belief that future is created, not predetermined; and that anyone can grow with the mind-set of a learner. Also, the new look of our bimonthly newsletter 'Sunrise', as you may have already noticed, seeks to spread that cheer, as much with the news it brings you, as with the burst of colours it is designed with. Both are closely aligned with our vision for transforming lives with care and guidance. These two extremely important changes were the reasons for the delay of the current issue of 'Sunrise', and I hope you find it worthwhile. I would appreciate your thoughts on this.

Furthermore, I am happy to see that foster care is getting its due importance in India. Three of our members from the editorial board of ‘Institutionalised Children: Exploration and Beyond' (ICEB), were part of a national consultation, headed by Honourable Minister, Women and Child Development, Ms. Maneka Gandhi. It's a major breakthrough and a great opportunity to voice our thoughts on group foster care.

The continued support by ASOS, UK, toward building the dream home for our girls in the NOIDA Udayan Ghar, is taking wonderful strides. With its basement done, the next phase has already started.

Finally, I feel proud to share that we have been shortlisted for the iVolunteer Awards under the 'Leader in Volunteer Engagement' category. We'll now be assessed by their national jury, comprising of members from the social and corporate sector organisations.

This recognition and your unwavering support enable us to find deep meaning in our work, and keep us motivated to empower others to grow.