A couple of days ago we had a review meeting of one of the commissions of the Province. While discussing a particular point, the issue of admission of children to our YaR (young at risk) centres came up. After a couple of minutes, one of the directors asked, "Don't you let CWC (Child Welfare Committee) decide that?"
I found that very relevant and apt. Letting the CWC screen properly and admit only those children who really are in need of care and protection be admitted in such institutions as our YaR settings, would entail that our YaR settings really be YaR settings and not any general boardings.
As of now, any child with or without parents, in special situation or not, willing or not, will be "seduced" into the institution! The major disadvantage of such a faulty procedure is that children who really need 'care and protection' (as a group designated by the JJ Act) will not get the same owing to the 'mixed' group of children living in the house. Perhaps linked with this itself is the 'stigma' that the children with families have now to bear as 'orphans and street children'!
I found that very relevant and apt. Letting the CWC screen properly and admit only those children who really are in need of care and protection be admitted in such institutions as our YaR settings, would entail that our YaR settings really be YaR settings and not any general boardings.
As of now, any child with or without parents, in special situation or not, willing or not, will be "seduced" into the institution! The major disadvantage of such a faulty procedure is that children who really need 'care and protection' (as a group designated by the JJ Act) will not get the same owing to the 'mixed' group of children living in the house. Perhaps linked with this itself is the 'stigma' that the children with families have now to bear as 'orphans and street children'!
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