Director's Message

“Kind and sensitive care giving within children’s residential facilities is important for emotional and mental health” a newly released Pitt study

All children need a nurturing and supportive family and caring community to enable them to achieve their full potential. For vulnerable children such as street children, children affected by HIV/AIDS, victims of child sexual abuse etc who are exposed to abuse, violence and neglect, we need to ensure they are protected and supported so they can have the best chance in life. Certain children are at a higher risk of physical and emotional harm than others due to their living circumstances or home environment.

The typical neglectful institutional systems, practices and methods minimize sensitive and responsive caregiver-child relationships and produces chronic stress & dysfunctionality which lead to higher rates of deficient development and behavioral patterns. Conversely, improved caregiver-child interactions and relationships might be expected to minimize such adverse outcomes, leading to happier and better adjusted children. Further, the impact affects the developmental stages of such children damaging irreparable consequences.

Therefore, Care giver or any person who is in contact with the child at risk or vulnerable is significant adult, plays significant role in bringing about positive outcomes in the children at risk. This is applicable to all children more so the children in difficult circumstances. Therefore, meaningful presence and compassion for the children’s development is the need of the hour in the present contact of children. Moreover, nurturing care giving from the persons responsible or care givers helps to minimize the potential emotional and mental-health development issues that can arise from spending the early years of a child’s life. Thus, it’s a shared responsibility of all the stakeholders involved in the child development work to put child at the centre of our thoughts and actions with passion and compassion for a better society for all of us.