Child Watch
The Smile India Trust Child Watch programme aims to create a safety net for vulnerable children, through ensuring child protection through Rescue, Rehabilitation, Repatriation and Restoration.
Activities:
Night Watch Programme: Conducting rounds night and day three times a week, identifying vulnerable children and areas they live in.
Organisation of volunteer groups.
Awareness generation and capacity building programmes.
Child participation.
Involvement of community stakeholders.
Formation of Community Protection Volunteers / child advocates.
Endorse advocacy and networking with various police personnel, Juvenile Justice System, NGOs, government machineries, and other organizations working in child protection.
Achievements
155 night rounds during the reporting period.
47 cases identified – 13 adults; 34 children.
28 cases have been rescued. 6 adults and 22 children.
46 cases have brought before the Child Welfare Committee.
In total 23 general diaries and 2 FIR done.
188 other people were attended during night rounds for other support like clothing, blankets, food and support.
Success Stories
Case Study 1
On the 25th November the Night Watch team heard rumours on Park Street that a young girl named Mona aged about 6 was suffering from TB, and was forcefully taken away to her native village by some unknown person. She had previously been rescued for treatment and restored by the Child Welfare Committee a month before, due to her mother’s neglectful treatment. The Night Watch team lodged a general diary against her mother, and with the help of the police, Night Watch social workers rescued Mona from the village and admitted in Smile India Trust for treatment. After she became stable, Mona was placed in girl’s crisis of Smile India Trust by the kind order of Child Welfare Committee where she receives shelter, care and education.
Case Study 2
On 27th January 2014 the Night Watch Social Worker came to know from a Community Protection Volunteer of Babughat that a child who was runaway from Orissa was staying with a family illegally. The team went to talk to the family, and found that they had kept the child for the last three months without informing local police and refused to go, forcing the team to report them to the police themselves. The police lodged a general diary and the child was given to the social workers of Smile India Trust for safe custody and to produce before Child Welfare Committee, where he was produced the following day. The Child Welfare Committee gave the order to Smile India Trust to provide temporary shelter to the child while his family was traced. The home of the child was found in Orissa and the child will be restored after gettng the restoration order from the legal authority (Child Welfare Committee).