The learning visit was facilitated by Delhi-based NGO, Udayan Care
NEW DELHI, May 23 (The CONNECT) – Bihar may adopt some of the child welfare programmes implemented successfully by the Delhi Government.
Speaking at the end of a three-day study tour by a team of Bihar officials to the national capital, Gargi Saha, Child Protection Officer, UNICEF Bihar expressed the hope that visit would lead to replicating some of the good practices of the Delhi Government.
The delegation of nine child protection functionaries that included members of the Child Welfare Committee, District Child Protection Unit, State Child Protection Society, Social Welfare Department and Child Protection Officer from UNICEF Bihar visited Delhi over a period of 3 days (18-21 May 2022). The learning visit was facilitated by Delhi based NGO, Udayan Care which runs Udayan Ghars, a unique model of child and youth care with aftercare being totally integrated into its design and implementation.
“This has also been an excellent opportunity for the Bihar delegation to share the good work being undertaken in the State of Bihar for the most marginalized section of children and young people”, Saha said.
The Govt of Bihar has declared the year 2021-22 as the year dedicated for family based alternative care and aftercare. “As UNICEF Bihar we are happy and fortunate to support this initiative and to facilitate,” she said.
During the visit, the delegates were given exposure to the Udayan Ghar unique model, who also visited the aftercare homes for boys and girls, being managed by the Delhi government and had an interaction with the officers of the state Child Protection Society. The delegates also met the key officials at institutes such as Aurobindo Ashram and GMR, which provides skilling and employability opportunities to the youth.
Bihar team at GMR-Dwarka
Alok Ranjan, Assistant Director, Social Welfare Department, Bihar said, “It was a very beneficial, learning and sharing exposure visit of Officers from government run Child Care Institutions, District Child Protection Units, Child Welfare Committee, Sate Child Protection Society and Social Welfare Department, Bihar with officers of WCD, Delhi. We are thankful to UNICEF Bihar and Udayan Care for providing this opportunity. Every minute of the exposure visit has been well spent. We visited Government and Udayan Care run CCIs and Aftercare initiatives, interacted with CSOs who are working on Aftercare programs in Delhi and shared best practices with WCD, CWCs and DCPUs officials. We were exposed to a corporate and private institution’s run vocational training program which will be very good for our youths and children, staying in institutional care”.
Udayan Care has been working to change the way we care for our children and ensure that they receive continued support and their transition from childcare institutions to independent living is smooth and such young person, also known as care leavers, feel they have a strong ecosystem around them till they get reintegrated as contributing citizens of society. Towards this, it is being supported by UNICEF to work closely in partnership with the Government of Bihar to improve the Aftercare work in the state.
Thanking the Govt of Bihar, Delhi and UNICEF for this initiative, Dr Kiran Modi, Founder and Managing Trustee, Udayan Care said, “It was a good cross learning initiative. I appreciate the candid sharing by Delhi Government Officials about the pathbreaking work of the Bihar Government namely Child Protection Management Information System (CPMIS) and Home Management Information System (HMIS) that is being looked at and replicated in the NCT of Delhi”.
Since 2019, several child protection functionaries have been trained on transition planning and aftercare and have enhanced their skills on rehabilitation of such youth. Individual Care Plans (ICP), assessments of disability, mapping the competencies, skills, interests of children and youth and life skills workshops have been imparted in two districts, Patna and Gaya.
