Silent Cries Behind Closed Door of Child Care Institution

“Why am I here? Will I ever go out from here? I don’t feel like doing anything. I want to go back home. What did I do wrong to A child sitting on the floor, leaning against a wall, hugging their knees in a dimly lit room.deserve this.”

These are just a few of many heart-wrenching questions asked by thousands of children behind the closed doors of childcare institutions.

As per a report by The Lancet 2020 on Child and Adolescent Health Children living in institutionalized settings globally are at risk of negative health and developmental outcomes, as well as physical and emotional abuse, yet information on their numbers is scarce.1

India has the world’s largest number of children residing in residential care. In total, over 9,500 Child Care institutions (CCI) house nearly 4,00,000 children in need of care and protection.2

“91% of the total CCIs/Homes, are run and managed by Non-Government Organizations, whereas, only 9% are Government supported Homes”3

But what are childcare institutions and what are the children doing there?  Further, the important question is, why do the children not feel like being there?

Child Care Institutions are rehabilitation centres for children who are in need of care and protection (in short CNCP). CNCP is defined as children who are victims of crime, sexual abuse, child labor, child marriage, or abandonment, begging etc. These children have not broken the law but have been victims of someone committing a crime against them. They are placed in the institution for protection and rehabilitation by the order of the Child Welfare Committee which is a statutory body under the Juvenile Justice Act.

The rehabilitation process differs for each child depending on the circumstances the child has gone through. For example, a child who is a victim of sexual abuse may need temporary shelter, counseling, and legal support. A victim of child labor may need temporary shelter and counseling to the child and the family.

These children need a rehabilitation center and not a hostel. A hostel (boarding school) is the accommodation provided for educational purposes. Still, Childcare Institutions are transition centers for CNCPs, preparing them to overcome trauma and make decisions outside of institutions. It is a center that not only takes care of the children’s basic needs but also caters to their specific needs such as emotional, educational, and/or recreational needs.

However, these centers often” suffer from poor infrastructure like dark rooms, lack of ventilation, broken washrooms, lack of adequate drinking water. Further lack of counselling services for these children and unempathetic approach of the caregivers towards children do not provide a supportive environment they need to learn new skills and make their own decisions. This can deeply affect their emotions. Instead of feeling hopeful, they might feel guilty or ashamed for something that wasn’t their fault.

Crime such as sexual exploitation, employing child labor, and trafficking are some of the reasons why children end up in childcare institutions. Crime disrupts the normal life of a child making institutional care an important intervention for them.

On the other hand, some children of single parents also need institutional care as the parent is unable to provide sufficient care.

The challenges in the system that cause poor rehabilitation services include:

  • Lack of funding
    The research titled “Still Out of Focus: Budget for Children in India” by HAQ: Centre for Child Rights highlights that the budget for children-related program in India is insufficient and does not get much attention as children are the voiceless population who do not vote.4
    In Union Budget 24-25, the government allocated Rs. 26,000 crores to the Women and Child Development Ministry. However, only Rs. 1472 crore which is 5.6 % of the total budget allocated for Mission Vatsalya (Child Protection Services and Child Welfare Services)5
  • Delayed disbursal of funds makes it hard for childcare institutions to plan and manage resources. This often leads to poor infrastructure, and a lack of necessary supplies, which directly affects the quality of care and support the children receive.
  • Lack of training to caregivers in addressing the mental well being of the children. Staff often follow a strict top-down hierarchy, where they command children to do various tasks. At times, children are punished for their mistakes or made to do extra work when guests visit the institution.

“Didi, why did they put me here? What did I do wrong? “Asked 16-year old Meera (name changed) who stays in the institution I visited where I gave a session on the Juvenile Justice Act. Meera had come to me with the hope of finding some answers. I asked her what happened before coming here :

“Four months ago, I started working in a family’s home in a city far away from my village. I cooked, cleaned, and took care of their child, just like my uncle told me to do. After three months, I asked if I could call my family, but they said no. Then, one day, I accidentally broke a plate. They got so angry and beat me. I couldn’t take it anymore, so I ran away to the nearest railway station. I was crying when a police uncle found me, and he brought me here.”

“After I came to the shelter home, I kept wondering why I couldn’t go home. Why did they arrest me? I did not do anything wrong. I just wanted to go back to my family. I am missing them.” I told her “Meera, you are not arrested. You are saved and rescued. It was not safe for you to stay at the railway station. It was not right that you were made to work as a domestic help at this age. You are here for safety. You are protected till the time your family is located and come to pick you.”

She said, “I saw other girls who had been there for three or four months, and it made me worry”.

Suddenly, someone knocked on the door, and Meera immediately looked up, I could see the hope in her eyes expecting her loved ones to be at the door. I consoled her and said “This is now your temporary home till someone from your family comes” With a disappointed voice she replied, “No didi, it is not my home. I want to go to my family. I don’t like it here”.

looking at Meera I thought that something seemed to be off here, instead of feeling protected and safe she felt disappointed and caged.

Few NGOs have seen this problem and are working on institutional care. The NGO Catalyst for Social Action (CSA) provides recreational support, providing a TV to the homes, and bicycles to the children. Or they prepare children who are about to turn 18 years old for their transition to other institutions. However, counseling services are not provided.

The NGO International Justice Mission has realized infrastructural changes in childcare institutions and provided staff. However, these services were provided for a limited period of 1 year.

What is missing is a consistent and holistic approach that caters to the infrastructure, emotional, educational, and recreational needs of the children. Further training to the staff on addressing the mental well being of children is also not provided by most NGOs so far. Support from the NGO needs to be given in a manner that even if the project ends, the institution is able to manage itself without the external support.

When a child like Meera asks, “Why am I here? I don’t like staying here,” it shows that she feels uncomfortable in the childcare institution. She may not be able to express it fully, but her questions reveal that she doesn’t feel supported or cared for. These questions make us think about the kind of environment the children are living in.

Every child has a right to joy, innocence, and imagination irrespective of the circumstances the child has gone through. Through my organization, I try to provide an environment that helps children to enjoy their childhood.

For References:

Skip to content