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Orphaned Bahraini children - and those whose parents are not known to the authorities - are provided a loving home in Hoora until a suitable family is found to foster them.
The Child Care Home is currently providing care, clothing, medical treatment and education for 19 boys until they become adults and can afford to become independent.
It also shelters them from cruel taunts from prejudiced people who label the innocent youngsters as "sinners".
Vice-board chairman Dr Akbar Mohsin Mohammed says the facility does its best to provide home comforts including social and entertainment activities.
"We try to replace the parents they never had, however how hard that might be - we really do try our very best to provide them with everything they need until they become adults," he said.
"When they finish their education and become adults we find jobs for them and pay three-years rent for their flats and a BD1,000 advance for the car they wish to buy. We even help them financially when they are getting married," explained Dr Mohammed, who is also a professor and chairman of the department of paediatrics, College of Medicine and Medical Sciences.
He added: "The children at the home, especially those with unknown parents, go through some difficult times coming to terms with their situation.
"The social workers and a team of surrogated mothers try to make them understand the reality of life, that there are bad and good in all societies and instead of focusing on the negative points they should grab the positive side of life," he said.
He added that the children can also talk to a 'surrogate father' figure who is an expert in child care from Jordan.
Dr Mohammed said that some of the children have been abandoned by their parents on the streets and the others arrived at the home after being transferred from hospitals.
There are many challenges both the children and staff have to meet. He explained: "Some of the children feel rejected when they are not chosen for fostering or when uncaring people look at them as 'sinners'.
"The problem with our society is that some people look at them as sinners.
"I had religious scholars telling me that the children who have unknown parents were the stones of hell and I just laughed at them and said 'have you been to hell to know what kind of stones they have there?'
"I mean, what can you say to people with that kind of mentality?
"Children are innocent. They did not choose to be in this situation. If we want to blame anyone we should blame the fathers and mothers who abandoned them.
"In Europe and the US fostering is a temporary placement of an orphan with a family until the officials find a permanent solution for the child's situation, the fostering we have here is different because the child stays with the family until he is independent and then he makes the decision whether he wants to stay longer with the family or live separately."
"In Islam we don't have the term 'adoption'. The term we actually use is 'permanent fostering' and the difference between adoption and our fostering is that the name of the fostering father is not given to the child. He will be given an arbitrary name and the fostered child does not legally inherit the family's wealth."
Dr Mohammed said only Muslim Bahrainis are allowed to foster children. He added: "In addition to being a Muslim Bahraini family the fostering parents must also be able to financially support the child and provide a better life than he, or she, has in the home."
All prospective foster families are subjected to stringent investigation to ensure the child is going to a safe environment.
He said: "In most cases the reason for fostering is that the couple can't have children of their own.
"It is our responsibility to make sure that when the children are leaving the home they are going to a loving and safe place."
