controls, conditions and principles organizing the use of alternative families and the beneficiary groups. Care homes are established to provide care for children deprived of family care or their families have disintegrated or failed to provide proper care for them. Regulations issued in accordance with the provisions of this Act shall stipulate functions, competencies and organizations of such homes. Table (5) Number of Children at Care Homes Home Child Home (Maigoama) Future Home (for girls) Protection Home (for boys) Rashad Home for Homeless Boys Taiba Home for Homeless Boys Bashair Home for Homeless Girls Total Source: Ministry of Social Affairs, Khartoum state   No of Children 108 17 21 104 60 29 339 Children Alternative family care scheme is primarily concerned with abandoned children. It is run by the Ministry of Social Affairs, Khartoum state in coordination with care homes. Similar homes are found in other states such as River Nile, Gezira, Red Sea and S Darfur. The scheme has been designed as a result of the high death rates in the care homes in addition to the fact that such homes do not provide ideal environment for upbringing as children are deprived of family atmosphere and mother tenderness. The main objectives of the scheme are the integration of the child in community and reunite him with his natural family whenever possible. The scheme has three pillars; reunification, alternative family and sponsorship. To provide safe environment for the child the scheme works in different areas, chief among them is the prevention of separation of the child from his mother, reintegration and sponsorship. The latter has certain conditions to be verified by social workers to ensure that the sponsor mother is Sudanese, aged 30-50, living in the same state, secure agreement of the head of her family and is cleared by the police for not having criminal record and should pass a psychosocial test. The scheme has succeeded in returning 55 children to their natural mothers and prevented separation of 83 children from their mothers in 2007. Follow up is done by 67 trained social workers through weekly visits. There is a standard form for follow up where all growth and development signs are recorded. The scheme has succeeded in building strong relations between mothers, social workers and the Ministry. This has helped children to gain confidence and to feel they are loved and wanted. 396 children were sponsored during 2009. Protection is one of the most important areas of the scheme. Protection is enhanced through awareness campaigns in residential areas, universities and other places in collaboration with UNICEF, Hope & Homes, religious leaders and NGOs. Table (6) below shows numbers of abandoned children received by care homes in Khartoum state during the period 2004-2010. 31