The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child gives all children the right to a family. For children who are orphaned, abandoned or surrendered (OAS), adoption provides a lasting family, offering them stability and a sense of belonging. As per the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA), the nodal body regulating adoption in India, there are more than 30,000 prospective parents who are waiting to adopt a child.
Around 170 million children, that is 40% children in India are ‘vulnerable or experiencing difficult circumstances characterised by their specific social, economic and geopolitical situations, and that all these children need special attention’” states the Ministry of Women and Child Development’s annual report published in 2015-2016.
“A family is a circle of strength, with love for its core.” This quote by actor George Carlin beautifully captures the importance of family in our lives.
Family Strengthening and Family-Based Alternative Care (FBAC) are distinct yet interconnected solutions with a shared objective: ensuring children thrive in a safe and nurturing environment of a family. Family Strengthening focuses on empowering families in overcoming difficulties, providing counselling, financial aid, and parenting skills training to raise their children effectively. In contrast, FBAC steps in when separation is necessary, offering safe havens to children through foster care, kinship placements, with an emphasis on potential reunification with biological parents whenever feasible. Both approaches are crucial components of a child protection system, working collaboratively to uphold a child’s right to a loving family, be it biological or chosen.
Catalysts for Social Action is celebrating National Adoption Month. Santosh and Shobha Sahu have been happily married for 12 years and Dhimahi came into their lives when she was 20 months old.
Catalysts for Social Action is celebrating National Adoption Month. Santosh and Shobha Sahu have been happily married for 12 years and Dhimahi came into their lives when she was 20 months old.
Mukta Dhond, 46, lives in Mumbai and says she couldn’t drive because her car used to be her home. She used to sleep in the car. She is a passionate media professional, who is a creative producer of television shows on general entertainment channels. Mukta is also a trustee at Bal Asha Trust, an adoption agency. She found Agastya there.
Mangesh, 22, is a chef at an upmarket restaurant in Juhu.
This Children’s Day let us celebrate the child in Mangesh, who did not give up
or go astray, but stayed focussed to make something of his life.
Hello everyone my name is Shivani, I am from Mumbai. I am hoping you are not moving out of your house because there is a monster named Corona outside making people ill & taking their lives! Are you bored of sitting at home and doing nothing? Also are you thinking we are bored, and are you worried about us?
Let me tell you that we are doing a whole lot of things!
We are having a lot of fun during this lockdown and learning a lot of new activities and making the most of our time.
Here, have a look at what me and my friends at different CCIs are upto…
CSA’s Aftercare Program was conceptualized based on the following needs which were identified in course of our work with CCIs:
For this very reason, CSA came up with a program to cater to their needs and make them independent. The program is implemented with the objective to facilitate effective preparation & identify appropriate career opportunities for every resident child in the age group 14 – 18 years and above, eventually making YAs self-reliant and contributing members of the society.
Currently through this Aftercare Program we have helped 332 children and made 103 self-reliant by helping them secure jobs in their fields of choice.
CSA’s efforts to train Angwanwadi workers in 4 districts of MP on legal provisions related to vulnerable children bore fruit when two children aged 4 and 6 living were rescued and placed in a child care institution. The training program for Anganwadi workers was implemented in partnership with Department of Women and Child Development (DWCD), Indore Division, Government of Madhya Pradesh with the objective to build capacity of Anganwadi workers to identify and respond to cases of child in need of care and protection. 51 trainings were conducted to train almost 8000 Anganwadi workers from Indore, Khandwa, Dhar and Barwani were trained on child rights, provisions related to children in need of care and protection (CNCP) in the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015, and alternative care for CNCP.
Post training, information was received by the CSA team from an Anganwadi worker about two destitute children living with their mentally challenged mother in the outskirts of Indore. A detailed investigation by CSA team revealed that the children had no one to take care of them and had to beg to feed themselves. This investigation report was handed over to DWCD which then forwarded it to Childline for rescue of the children. While the children were rescued, produced before the Child Welfare Committee, and placed in a child care institution, the mother was admitted to a hospital by the police for her medical needs.
It is estimated that 40% of children in India are vulnerable due to difficult circumstances characterized by their social, economic and geo-political challenges. Many of them could be exposed to situations of grave risk, such as extreme poverty, child abuse, child marriage and child labour. While laws and policies for protection of such children and for have been enacted, locating and identifying such children and their families who could benefit from provisions under the laws continues to be a challenge for authorities. Training of grassroots workers (such as Anganwadi workers in this case) could bridge this gap to a great extent.
