Child protection mechanisms in India
Child protection in India encompasses a wide range of laws, policies, and programs designed to safeguard the rights and well-being of children.
The Legal Framework is constituted of the Constitutional Provisions ; the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 ; the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012 ; the Child Labor (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986.
TARA works in close co-operation with the relevant institutions in Delhi to ensure the respect of the children’s fundamental rights, as enacted by Indian Law and the Declaration of the Rights of the Child (UN, 1959).
TARA makes all possible efforts to protect children without separating them from their families. In some severe cases, nevertheless, the authorities have no choice but to place the child.
Placement of a Child in India is regulated by law
Children are placed in TARA Homes through an order by the Child Welfare Committee, a statutory body which enquires about each child’s situation according to the statutes of the Juvenile Justice Act (2015) and decides if the placement of the child in a children’s home or an orphanage is necessary, or if a non-institutional educational support is more appropriate. Children placed in institutional care are labelled “in need of care and protection”, as per the Juvenile Justice Act 2015.
All TARA staff members follow regular training sessions based on the legislation on Child Protection in India. Each week, the team meets in every program in order to talk about the latest updates, and to ensure the coherence of TARA’s educational action.
TARA Child Protection Policy
TARA fuels the empowerment of the children through their constant involvement in the process of their own protection and education. In TARA Outreach Centre as well as in TARA Homes, the traumatized children we welcome have often been objectified and/or suffered from a severe lack of individual attention from their parents or from their caregivers when they lived in a crowded institution or orphanage in Delhi or when they were roaming around in the street, unsupervised. TARA encourages the children to express their concerns and needs, while making sure that all voices are heard.
The empowerment of the children and young adults allows them to express their points with confidence and courtesy. Somes children are elected to participate to the staff meetings and to speak on behalf of the other children. Studying or living in TARA teaches the children and young adults how to deal with a democratic environment and to propose solutions for their daily issues.
Child Participation in their own protection
TARA fuels the empowerment of the children through their constant involvement in the process of their own protection and education. The traumatized children we welcome have often been objectified or suffered from a lack of individual attention when they lived in a crowded institution or orphanage in Delhi. TARA treats each child equally and as per his identified needs.
The empowerment of the children is essential for them to become directors, and not mere objects, of their future.