News Highlights
The Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) recently issued new guidelines for the ‘Mission Vatsalya’ Scheme in order to lay out a future roadmap for child protection.
Mission Vatsalya
Background:
- Prior to 2009-10, there were three schemes being implemented under the Ministry of Women and Child Development namely,
- Programme for Juvenile Justice for Children in need of care and protection, and Children in conflict with Law;
- Integrated Programme for street children; and
- Scheme for assistance to homes for children (Shishu Greh).
- All the three schemes were incorporated in a single centrally sponsored scheme called the Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS) from 2009-2010
- The ICPS, then renamed as “Child Protection Services”(CPS) Scheme in 2017.
- The CPS Scheme has been now subsumed under Mission Vatsalya from 2021-22 onwards.
About the Vatsalya Scheme
- Mission Vatsalya is a roadmap to achieve development and child protection priorities aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
- Aim
- Support and sustain Children in difficult circumstances;
- Develop context-based solutions for holistic development of children from varied backgrounds;
- Provide scope for encouraging innovative solutions;
- Cement convergent action.
- Motto: ‘leave no child behind’.
- Implementation
- The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 provisions and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 form the basic framework for implementation of the Mission.
- Vision
- To secure a healthy & happy childhood for each and every child in India
- Ensure opportunities to enable them to discover their full potential and assist them in flourishing in all respects, in a sustained manner.
- To promote family based non-institutional care of children in difficult circumstances based on the principle of institutionalisation of children as a measure of last resort.
- Mission
- To achieve lasting improvement & consistent endeavour towards the upliftment of behavioural practice in health & gender through a process that unites people across culture and adds meaning & value to their lives by:-
- Curbing female foeticide
- Strengthening & empowering the community based NGOs on health issues on grass root level.
- Advocating issues pertaining to health imbalances at different levels by demonstrating workable models.
- To achieve lasting improvement & consistent endeavour towards the upliftment of behavioural practice in health & gender through a process that unites people across culture and adds meaning & value to their lives by:-
Key Takeaways of Guidelines
- Restructuring of the existing helpline for children ‘1098-Childline’
- It states Mission Vatsalya in partnership with states and districts will execute a 24×7 helpline service for children and it will be integrated with the Emergency Response Support System 112
- Vision for “Vatsalya Sadan,” with a specific focus on “Juveniles in Conflict with the Law.”
- “Vatsalya Sadan”, an Integrated Home Complex of child care institutions called “Vatsalya Sadan” shall be located within single premises of the Juvenile Justice Act
- ‘Cradle Baby Reception Centres’
- Mission envisages setting up Cradle Baby Reception Centres fully equipped to care for infants in at least one specialised adoption agency (SAA) per district
- It is to rescue the abandoned children and look after them till they are adopted
- Each SAA shall install one cradle with an alarm bell at the doorstep to receive abandoned babies
- Mission envisages setting up Cradle Baby Reception Centres fully equipped to care for infants in at least one specialised adoption agency (SAA) per district
- Role of the District Magistrate
- The new guidelines define the role of the District Magistrate, who will be responsible for ensuring execution of the mission at the district level.
Pic Courtesy: The Hindu
Content Source: The Hindu