Support 100 Care leavers in India

When a young adults leave child care institution, they shouldn’t have to do the work alone. We’re here to support them in that “next step” of life. Our aftercare programs are here to help them to lead a better life. Aftercare services available for who have completed the age   of eighteen years but have not completed twenty-one years, also available for who are thinking of leaving out of home care who require assistance moving to independent living. During after care children are provided with life skill education, Vocational training, career counselling, placement opportunity, counselling for management emotions, financial support and other supports contribute for the social mainstreaming

Some Key Component of Aftercare:

(i)  Community group housing on a temporary basis for groups of 6-8 young person (ii) Encouragement to learn a vocation or gain employment and contribute towards the rent as well as the running of the home (iii) Encouragement to gradually sustain themselves without state support and move out of the group home to stay in a place of their own after saving sufficient amount through their earnings (iv) Provision for a peer counsellor to stay in regular contact with these groups to discuss their rehabilitation plans and provide creative outlets for channelizing their energy and to tide over the crisis periods in their lives(v) Providing stipend during the course of vocational training until the youth gets employment (vi) Arranging loans for youths aspiring to set up for entrepreneurial activities

Group Living: Children are staying in a group 4 to 8 in safe residential home. Here, children are encouraged to live together as a family unit.  The room is run by Aftercare children. They learn and share responsibilities of running their own kitchen and home. In this home, the household duties are amicably shared by the children. Children are managing their day to day management. Children are much happier in preparing cooking.  Children are now saving their money and use for their basic need. To handle this transition sifting process, many strategies are adopted like group living, independent living, hostels etc. to build their self confidence, life skills, attitude and management capacities.

Life skill education is given to children to enable individuals to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life. It addresses both the individual and interpersonal issues. It enhances their skill and personality and brings about a positive change in their behavior and attitude. The training focuses on self awareness, empathy, interpersonal relation to effective communication among the participants and developing leadership qualities. Life skill help people make responsible and informed and promote a healthy lifestyle as well career skill.

• Report_of_Aftercare_for_the_month_of_Dec18.docx (DOCX)

At the age of 18, young adult aren’t fully equipped to handle their life by themselves. They need guidance and support to lead their life. This Aftercare programme connection the gap helps them to take the responsibility in young adult stage. This programme also empowers them to complete their education, stand on their feet and live independent and successful lives.

Programme Goal

 According to the Juvenile Justice (Care and  Protection of Children) Act, 2015 (JJ Act 2015), aftercare    in India means ‘making provision of support, financial or otherwise, to persons, who have completed the age   of eighteen years but have not completed twenty-one years, and have left any institutional care to join the mainstream of society’

LEGAL AND SCHEME PROVISION

Juvenile Justice Care and Protection Act 2015.

The following sections of Juvenile Justice care and protection Acts 2015, contain legal and

schematic provisions for providing aftercare services in India.

Process to Re-integration to community

• Mapping to Identify children(14-17years-pre category & above 18 years)
• Prepare Individual Career Plan
• Counselling of Individual children
• Life skill education and Exposure visit
• Vocational Training and Post Placement Support
• Produce Child before CWC
• Agreement with the child/Young adult on care & support
• Action (Education, accomodation, safety security)
• Linkage with schemes/sponshorships and enterprenurshiph

   Round table meeting with CWC (Child Welfare Committee) and DCPU (District child Protection Unit)

YCDA Resource Centre to promote conducted round table meeting to promote Aftercare programme in Puri in Collaboration with DCPU and CWC Puri. The District Child Protection Unit (DCPU), CWC members, representatives from 21 CCIs, staff from YCDA participated in the discussion.  Participants discussed on various issues exist at different level for effective implementation of aftercare support to the children in the district.

Key discussions are as follows:

• DCPU presented that in the district there are total 09 numbers of CCIs(Child Care Institution) having 75 numbers of children between the age group of 16 to 18 years . Among them 32 are girls and 43 are boys .
• In the meeting it was realized by all the stakeholders that in the district a more focused and systematic aftercare programme is required to support the children who are being institutionalized and reached 18 in various CCIs within the district
• To meet the need it was discussed to have a combined effort and to engage YCDA as a technical partner to support the DCPU and other stakeholders for implementing aftercare programme by reaching the  targeted children and  supporting in their smooth  reintegration by empowering them socially and financially

• After_Care_Children_GG_Report_Sep18.docx (DOCX)

Summary:

 The Juvenile Justice (Care & Protection of Children) Act 2015 (JJACT), provides for institutional care for Juveniles in Conflict with (JCL) and Children in Need of Care and Protection (CNCP) up to the age of 18 years. Most of the children living in institutional care have nowhere to go once they reach the age of 18 years and after discharge from institution. Aftercare is the provision of care for all children after they have reached the age of 18 years, and are discharged from Children’s Homes/Special Homes or from Child Care Institutions (CCIs). Children who have completed 18 years may be referred to as “young adults”. It is to help or prepare them to be self-independent who can be sustain by them-selves during the transition from institutional to independent life.

YCDA is working with District Child Protection Unit(DCPU), Child welfare committee (CWC), Child Care Institutions (CCIs), District Administration and  initiated group home for Aftercare children. It has been declared as After Care Organization. The aspiration of the programme is children will be socially re-integrated in terms of higher education, employment and other social benefits. We are also providing them group independent living facilities including vocational and life skill education.

Level of Intervention:

During the period we have identified 50 After Care children who are parentless and they are staying in group living arrangement. So far we have done
 

1. Facilitate Individual Career Plan
2. Counselling support to the children
3. Linkage with different vocational Institute for their career placement

At CCI Level: YCDA with support from District Child Protection Unit (DCPU) has done the map of all the children between the age group of 15 and above to identify their interest, skills, education status etc. YCDA already developed the format to keep track of all informations of the children.   

We are also focus to adolescents above 15 years at Child care institution (CCI) to give guidance and consultation to children and building their career in a right direction.

With Children

The Individual care plan has revisited to integrate the exist and future plan of child and to handle the process through a structured case management approach. Career plan is key important for children. Through this, they must have proper indication, self-confident and right decision making for choosing the path of their career.

Career guidance enables deep inner exploration to understand their core interests, which will help the children to choose subjects and a career which they are more likely to enjoy

Counseling Support: Counseling support is provided to all children in a regular basis to improve the skill of decision making, reduce stress, maintain a better self-esteem and confidence and feel more positive and optimistic towards life.

Life Skill Education: Life skill education is given to 50nos of children to enable individuals to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life.  

Monitoring Support:

Monitoring is very important for children. The joint monitoring DCPU, CWC and YCDA are doing the periodic monitoring to After care children.

With Govt. and other agency :

Our children are now able to access of vocational training, job placement through tie-ups with Govt. and vocational training institute created by YCDA. 25 children are linkage with vocational training DDU-GKY, CTTC (Central tools room training)

Impact of the Programme in project period:

• Mapping of children in the age group of 15 and onwards at CCI level to assess their interest and skills for higher studies or vocational training and other life skill requirements.
• 50nos of children are identified for after care arrangement.
•  Mapping for vocation training Institute
• Capacity building of CCI staffs to prepare children for transitioning from CCI to community life.

• Report of Aftercare support of 50 Orphan children (DOCX)