The government plans to partner with the private sector as well as volunteer groups for its scheme for protection of vulnerable children such as those abandoned or missing.
The Ministry of Women and Child Development on Wednesday sent its draft guidelines for Mission Vatsalaya Scheme to States and Union Territories and solicited suggestions by April 18, 2022. Mission Vatsalaya is essentially rechristening of a pre-existing scheme called Child Protection Services, and also includes child welfare services. The Union Cabinet approved Mission Vatsalaya in January, 2022 and the draft guidelines is the first document that makes public the government’s intent for the scheme.
“To encourage public participation, develop synergy in efforts and utilize the resources available for success of the mission, the civil society, people’s groups and various volunteering organizations can be encouraged to participate under Mission Vatsalya in a systematic and planned manner,” say the draft guidelines. The document said these could include organisations under government initiatives such as Bharat Scout and Guide, NSS Volunteers, Nehru Yuva Kendras and more NGOs and Self-Help Groups could be identified.
The Ministry has also proposed a Vatsalaya portal that will allow volunteers to register so that State and District Authorities can engage them for executing various schemes.
“The model will ensure meaningful public participation in child development, which will provide a sense of ownership in nation building and develop the culture of belongingness,” the document explains the rationale for the move.
Child protection includes services for children in need of care and protection such as those abandoned, orphaned or missing; children in conflict with law or juvenile offenders and other vulnerable children. The scheme is being implemented from financial year 2009-10. The programme components include institutional services through child care institutions (CCI)and family-based non institutional care through sponsorship, foster care and adoption. It also supports after-care programme for children at CCIs once they turn 18, and emergency outreach service through Childline or the national helpline 1098 for children
According to the draft guidelines, the government also plans to “integrate” the massively successful Childline with Ministry of Home Affairs’ helpline 112 which provides emergency services for medical emergency, women’s safety and fire – a move that has child rights activists very worried.
Last year, the then Secretary of Ministry of Women and Child Development, Ram Mohan Mishra, said that the administrative control of the helpline would be transferred from his Ministry to the Ministry of Home Affairs. He said that this was being done to “preserve data sensitivity” and to ensure that the Police or the State is the first interface for children in distress.
Childline is an independent trust and gets funding from the Ministry of Women and Child Development for operating the helpline.
“The police should not be the first responder for complaints from children. This will take away the space children have to share and open up. The moment you attach a police helpline the reporting will go down and as it is we suffer from poor reporting in this country. This is one of the biggest concerns we have at the moment,” said Bharti Ali, co-founder, HAQ: Centre for Child Rights.
