Support 100 Care leavers in India

COVID-19pandemic has caused an unprecedented human health crisis causing more crises for the lives of human beings.At the outside of Coronavirus,young adults suffered a lot and affect for long period and facechallenges The situation has been worsened for the children leaving child care institution after attaining 18 years these-vulnerable youths are at risk of physical, financial and social harm. This has resulted in the loss of jobs and income, and crises of food, housing, mental and physical well-being, and livelihoods. Such situation has been impacted a lot during the second strain of COVID for which these aftercare children experienced after leaving the care setting and were legally compelled to exit their care setting on attaining adulthood.

However, these (CNCP) children live in CCIs or orphanages in temporarily before they are placed suitably in Community. Sometimes they continue to live in CCIs until they are deinstitutionalized at the age of 18 years and soon after they attain 18 years they are sent back to the community without any proper rehabilitation planning. Such situation becomes worsen to these children as they don’t get aftercare support either from government or from civil society. In such a situation the young adults strive to manage their livelihood but the pandemic situation pusses to get un-affordability consequently they get enormous dropouts, child labour, forced child marriages, issues of trafficking and violence. To address this issue YCDA has continued its effort providing direct support to the aftercare children and in the same time advocates to the government and duty bearers to ensure their care, protection and rehabilitation. Looking into their needs YCDA has conducted few following activities.   

Life skill training, Career planning & Psycho social support to aftercare children

Young children are disproportionately represented in the most vulnerable families and highly vulnerable in times of shock because services to support young children are often outside of formal systems and end up overlooked. Already scarce resources will likely be diverted to the pandemic response. Food insecurity will be a profound challenge for young children and their families, which is particularly problematic for children’s development in first 100 days. We also know from the COVID crisis, that the young children are more likely to experience violence, abuse and neglect as families struggle to cope. The recovery phase from the COVID-19 crisis is likely to be protracted and these young adults have faced extended economic challenges.

Looking into the need of hour the psychosocial support has been extended for the care and support to aftercare children. It has been included the care and support offered by friends, peers, teachers, health workers, and community members on a daily basis. It also extends includes care and support offered by specialized psychological and social services. Talking about the event and allowing children to share their experiences and feelings may help to decrease emotional distress. This has rebuilt children’s trust and helps them feel cared for and secure. Listening to their feelings and re-assuring them that it is common to feel the way they do after such an event is helpful. Being available and offering reassurance to children can help restore a greater sense of safety and security.

Critical support o the aftercare children during the lockdown situation

During the lock down situation many of the young adults have to lose their livelihood, dropped out from the education and failed to have basic amenities and due to weak economical conditions of the young adults they couldn’t bear the college dues. They couldn’t even afford for her college uniform, neither could buy the text books or attend online exams as they didn’t even have a smart phone. In a quick response, YCDA quickly mobilized for few smart phones and gave these young adults so that they could attend the online classes. Currently YCDA is also planning for mobilizing more numbers of smart phones for the remaining after care children .It has been planned to provide with periodic counseling, life skill based adolescent education and career counseling. We ensure a personalized quality engagement with these aftercare children on a regular basis to reduce disruptions.

Case study of Mitanjali who was facilitated the Job placement after appropriate training

Rita ( Name Changed) was just completed 18 years. When she was only 7 years old her mother committed suicide and the child got neglected, her father was in custody related to the suicidal cases of his wife. Automatically the child got out of parental care. The child was put in the orphanage and there she spent around 7 years. As the child failed in 10^th standard so the orphanage people discouraged her and asked her father to take away her from the orphanage. Fortunately her father had been released from the imprisonment. Looking into the pandemic situation her father brought up her from the orphanage and further she was not entertained in the orphanage.

YCDA taken over the case and during the preparation of her care plan and counseling it was realized that the child has a dream of successful future .So looking into her best interest and suitability she was enrolled in a six month courses of hotel management as hospitality trade. Educational support and counseling support was provided her. In course of time she completed the course and soon after completed 18 years of age she recently got offered from the CARE hospital Bhubaneswar to deal as a COVID warrior. Somehow she did not show her interest to join in Bhubaneswar rather she got interested to go to Hyderabad along with her other friends. She was shifted to Hyderabad CARE hospital. Now she is working there in the food serving unit for the COVID patients with a salary of Rs.7000 per month excluding food and accommodation. Now she is happy to get this job and having a dream to make release her house which has been mortgaged by her father

• Progress report on After Care Support- June 2021 (PDF)