District Child Protection Unit

In order to ensure effective implementation of the Juvenile Justice (Care & Protection of Children) Act, 2015. The Act mandated under provision of Section 106 that every State Government shall established for every district a District Child Protection Unit to take up matters relating to Children in Need of Care and Protection and Juvenile in Conflict with Law with a view to ensure the effective implementation of the Act including the establishment and maintenance of Homes, notification of competent authorities in relations to these children and their rehabilitation and coordination with various official and non-official agencies concerned. The District Child Protection Unit (DCPU), West Khasi Hills District have been established in the year 2012 in accordance with the provision of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) Act, 2000 and currently function from Nondein, New Nongstoin, West Khasi Hills District, opp. Office of the District School Education Officer , Nongstoin, Pincode-793119.

ORGANIZATION

Organisational Structure — District Child Protection Unit

District Child Protection Officer

Head of Unit

Accountant

Financial and budget matters

Data Analyst

Data reporting and dashboards

Assistant cum Data Entry Operator

Administrative support and data entry

Protection Officer (Institutional Care)

Manages institutional cases

Social Worker

Casework and follow up

Protection Officer (Non-Institutional Care)

Manages family based and community cases

Social Worker

Community casework

Outreach Worker

Field outreach

Outreach Worker

Field outreach

Legal cum Probation Officer

Legal liaison and probation services

TARGET GROUPS:

Children in Need of Care and Protection (CNCP). (Section 2(14) of JJ Act, 2015)
Children in Conflict with law (CCL). (Section 2(13) of JJ Act, 2015)
Any other vulnerable children (including but not limited to):
- Children of migrant families
- Children of socially marginalized groups.
- Exploited/trafficked/drug-affected children
- Children of prisoners/ women in prostitution and children affected/infected with HIV/AIDS.
Children in contact with law – as a victim, witness.

FUNCTIONS OF DCPU (RULE 85 OF JJ ACT, 2015) :

❖Conduct Enquiry

❖Follow up Report

❖Preparation of Social Investigation Report

❖Escorting Children

❖Preparation of Individual Care Plan of Children

❖Counselling to Children

❖Monitor Child Care Institutions (CCI’s)

❖Organise Awareness on Child related issues

❖Repatriation of Children to other districts or States

❖Assist police in the police station

❖Assist CWC, JJB

❖Facilitate Adoption

❖Monitor After Care Home

❖Coordination or convergence with other Govt. department & NGO’s including liaising with community and corporate body for improving the functioning of Child Care Institutions

SERVICES PROVIDED

❖Institutional Services – Children’s Home, Open Shelter, Specialised Adoption Agency, Observation Home, Special Home, Place of Safety.

•Children’s Home shall be supported/ established for rehabilitation of children in need of care and protection for their care, treatment, education, training, development, and rehabilitation. Separate homes based on age, gender/transgender or special needs of children could be established/ supported by the State/District.

•Specialized Adoption Agencies (SAA) recognized by the state government shall be supported to look after children below six years of age based on the need assessment of the district about orphans, abandoned, and surrendered children. The SAA will facilitate adoption of the children who are legally free for adoption. SAAs may also be established near or within jail premises, to provide care and protection to young children of incarcerated parents.
The Mission Vatsalya will support State and NGO run Specialized Adoption Agency (SAA) where adoptable children of below six years of age are provided residential care. The SAA must be registered under the appropriate provisions of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 and follow the Adoption regulations issued by Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA). It shall work under the overall supervision of the District Child Protection Unit and assist District Magistrate in administering Adoption programme. ❖Non- Institutional Services – Sponsorship Assistance, Foster Care (Individual & Group Foster Care), Adoption, After Care Home, Community Service.

•Sponsorship: financial support may be extended to vulnerable children living with extended families/biological relatives for supporting their education, nutrition and health needs. •Criteria for sponsorship

(1) Where mother is a widow or divorced or abandoned by family;
(2) Where children are orphan and are living with the extended family;
(3) Where parents are victims of life threatening/terminal disease;
(4) Where parents are incapacitated or unable to take care of children both financially and physically.
(5) Children in need of care and protection as per the JJ Act, 2015 namely without home, victim of any natural calamity, child labour, victim of child marriage, trafficked child, HIV/AIDS affected child, child with disabilities, missing or runaway child, child beggars or living on the street, tortured or abused or exploited children who require support and rehabilitation.
(6) Children covered under the PM CARES For Children Scheme.
•Foster Care: the responsibility of the child is undertaken by an unrelated family for care protection and rehabilitation of the child. Financial support is provided to biologically unrelated Foster Parents for nurturing the child.
•Children Eligible for Foster Care:
i) Children in the age group of 6-18 years who have been staying in Child Care Institutions for over two years, and have not been declared legally free for adoption may be placed in Foster Care based on their Individual Care Plan developed in the institution.
ii) Children whose parents are terminally ill and have submitted a request to the Committee or the District Child Protection Unit for taking care of their child as they are unable to take care of their child; such children may be preferably
placed in Foster Care.
iii) Children in need of care and protection as per the JJ Act namely without home, victim of any natural calamity, child labour, victim of child marriage, trafficked child, HIV/AIDS affected child, child with disabilities, missing or runaway child, child beggars or living on the street, tortured or abused or exploited children who require support and rehabilitation.
•Adoption: finding families for the children found legally free for adoption. Specialized Adoption Agencies (SAA) will facilitate the adoption programme.
•After Care: the children who are leaving a Child Care Institution on completion of 18 years of age may be provided with financial support to facilitate the child’s re-
integration into mainstream of society. Such support may be given from the age of 18 years up to 21 years, extendable up to 23 years of age to help her/him become self-dependent.
•Criteria for receiving After Care
Each young person who has turned 18 years of age and who has been cared and protected in any formal or informal form of alternative care as a child (i.e., under the age of 18); such care being either child in need of care and protection as well as to children in conflict with law and is in further need of close support shall be provided with close and continued long term After Care services and facilities in the manner laid down in these guidelines.
STATUTORY BODY UNDER JJ ACT:
❖Juvenile Justice Board (JJB)
❖Child Welfare Committee (CWC)
❖Special Juvenile Police Unit (SJPU)
❖Juvenile Justice Board (JJB): The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015; makes it mandatory to establish at least one Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) in each district as the authority to dispose of matters related to Children in conflict with law. The composition and functioning of the JJB shall be in accordance with the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015. Mission Vatsalya shall provide infrastructure and financial support to the States/UTs for facilitating setting up of JJB in every district and to ensure their effective functioning. The Juvenile Justice Board shall perform functions and Roles as laid down in Juvenile Justice Act/Rules as amended from time to time. JJB shall hold its sittings in the premises of an Observation Home.
❖Child Welfare Committee (CWC): The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015; makes it mandatory to establish at least one Child Welfare Committee (CWC) in each district as the authority to dispose of cases for the care, protection, treatment, development and rehabilitation of children in need of care & protection and to provide for their basic needs and protection of human rights. The Composition and functioning of the CWC shall be in accordance with the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015; and Rules thereof. Mission Vatsalya shall provide infrastructure and financial support to the States/UTs for facilitating setting up of CWC in every district and to ensure their effective functioning. The Child Welfare Committee shall perform functions and Roles as laid down in Juvenile Justice Act/Rules as amended from time to time.
❖Special Juvenile Police Unit (SJPU): The Juvenile Justice Act, 2015, provides for setting up of Special Juvenile Police Units in every district and city to coordinate and upgrade the police interface with children. The police officers, designated as Child Welfare Officers in the district or city by the Home Department, and social workers are members of the SJPU. The Scheme would support two social workers in each SJPU.
These social workers shall be deployed by DCPU to SJPU based on requirement and availability of such staff. Of the two Social Workers, at least one should be a woman social worker. The Special Juvenile Police Unit shall perform functions and roles as laid down in the Juvenile Justice Act/Rules as amended from time to time.