“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.
NAVAJEEVAN AT A GLANCE
Currently, under Navajeevan, there are 7 registered Child Care Institutions (CCIs) – one Open Shelter & 6 Group Care Homes.
I) RESCUED CHILDREN DATA | Boys | Girls | Total |
---|---|---|---|
Total number of Street Children rescued by NJBB since 1993 | 46920 | 3419 | 50339 |
Total number of Street Children Home Integrated since 1995 | 28445 | 3171 | 31616 |
II) CHILD LABOUR RESCUED DATA: | |||
Total number of Child Labour rescued since 2002 | 5255 | 3258 | 8513 |
Total number of Domestic Child Workers rescued since 2007 | 48 |
833 |
881 |
III) CHILDREN IN ORIENTATION CAMPS: | |||
Orientation Camps (Prerana & Velugu) – with weekly GCPC (Group Counseling thru Picnic Camp) at Shelter | 18 | 0 |
18 |
Orientation Camp at De-addiction Centre, Vimukthi, Nuzvid | 17 |
0 | 17 |
IV) CHILDREN IN BRIDGE COURSES: | |||
Children in Residential Bridge Centers (RBCs) at Chiguru (Theeram Unit for boys and Baalika Unit for girls) | 44 | 41 | 85 |
V) SCHOOL GOING CHILDREN: | |||
Children (Orphan & Semi-orphans & from Broken Families) attending schools – mostly staying in Navajeevan’s Group Care Homes (at Moggas & Deepa Nivas) and some in Govt./Pvt. Hostels | 154 | 58 | 212 |
VI) COLLEGE GOING CHILDREN: | |||
Students attending different colleges staying at Navajeevan Yuva Bhavan and in various Govt. / Pvt. hostels | 35 | 91 |
126 |
VII) YOUTH IN VOCATIONAL TRAINING COURSES (VTC) | |||
Residential Vocational Training Course (RVTC) for boys in 2 trades –Two wheeler: 3 & Electrical: 15 & Vruthy Bhavan for boys doing outside work after training: 9 | 27 | 0 | 27 |
NAVEENA – A residential Vocational Training in Beautician and Tailoring courses for girls at Chiguru | 0 | 12 | 12 |
VIII) COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAMMES | Boys | Girls | Total |
Child Safety Net (CSN) – covering 95 rural villages in 18 Mandals & 40 slums communities in Vijayawada urban | |||
Children attending 155 Evening Tuition Centers | 2110 | 2269 | 4379 |
Children under 155 Children Parliaments | 1440 | 1475 | 2915 |
Adult Activists Groups(AAGs)/Volunteers working in Child Safety Net (CSN) | 349 | 815 | 1164 |
Child Protection Committee (CPC) Members working in CSN areas as on 31st Jan 2019 | 355 | 670 | 1025 |
Neethodu – Care & Support for Children Affected/Infected By AIDS (CABA) and their families | |||
Volunteers working with Neethodu desk for Care & Support of affected/infected as on date | 1 | 3 | 4 |
Adults affected/infected cases registered at Neethodu Desk | 195 | 386 | 581 |
Children affected/infected cases registered at Neethodu Desk since 2009 | 371 |
379 | 750 |
Education support to the school/college children affected/infected by HIV/AIDS – till 2017 | 301 | 324 | 625 |
Bi-monthly Nutrition Support to the affected/infected families by HIV/AIDS | 63 |
172 |
235 |
Total no. of families identified since 2009 under Neethodu | 473 | ||
Hitaishi Desk for Victims of Domestic Violence | |||
Women victims registered at Hitaishi Desk | 1 | 457 | 458 |
LAST (Livelihood Advancement Skills Training) - Non-Residential Vocational Training Courses since 2004 | |||
Beautician: 928 & Tailoring: 1139 & Maggam: 559 (currently not in function) & Computer Applications: 649 | 49 | 3226 | 3275 |