Bal Chetna is a program for the rehabilitation of mentally challenged children. Established in 2002 as a residential and day care facility in response to a growing number of mentally challenged children being abandoned at our children's home PALNA. The day care program started when our creche workers found many children with mental and multiple disabilities living in slums and resettlement colonies. Today we have 150 challenged children in our 3 day care centres and one residential facility.
Challenge working with differently abled children. 1) parents do not discuss openly about the limitations of their child. 2) they feel that these children are cursed and a burden on their meager finances. 3) they also do not believe that these defects could be due to home births, where medical facilities for emergencies are not available. 4)they also do not believe that there could be a genetic disorder 5) very high operating costs especially trained therapists .
We provide therapies to make the children as self-reliant as their condition permits (through language, cognitive and social development) in activities of daily living and where possible, to teach them income-generating skills. Physiotherapy, speech and occupational therapy is provided. We provide training, guidance and counseling to parents regarding the proper care. Regular health checkups and provide additional nutrition as required. Nutritious meals provided.Transport is also provided.
Increase acceptance of these special needs children by their families. Encouraging them to participate in normal activities. Raising the child's self esteem by helping them acquire a skill and become a contributing member of the family and finally explaining to the parents to love and care for their child and not to abandon their child.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
