Child Watch Program
Location: Kolkata, India
Period: October 2007 to October 2010
The Child Watch Program was created to help the many needy and vulnerable street and slum children at high risk, who are lost, abandoned, orphaned, exploited, abused, and suffering from malnutrition or ill.
VITAL in partnership with the Hope Kolkata Foundation, helps identify those children at high risk and protects them by providing day and night surveillance of troublesome areas, 24hr emergency shelter, medical care, nutritious meals and clean drinking water, repatriation of children with their families or placing children in a Hope Home, counseling, education, and recreational facilities.
The Child Watch Program also involves Night Patrols of troublesome areas which has led to the successful protection of many children, particularly those who were victims of child-trafficking.
The overall aim of the program is to protect children at risk and to create a sense of responsibility within the operational area for its population to do likewise. The program aims to provide 24 hour support, care and services for the children; improve the quality of life for street children; ensure their basic human rights and create an environment that will enable them to have a secure future.
The issues which were identified and which are addressed by the Child Watch program are:
Malnutrition
Extreme poverty
Ill health
Child trauma and stress
No housing or shelter
Eviction by police - government policy
Drug and substance abuse
Family violence
Child labour
No access to education
Child prostitution
Risk of HIV/AIDS infection
Child abuse
Migration
Child begging
School drop outs
Lack of hygiene and sanitation
Lack of awareness of social issues
The Objectives of the Child Watch Program are:
* To provide a 24-hour emergency shelter where children can receive healthcare, including access to government hospitals.
* To provide nutritious meals.
* To provide washing facilities and clean clothing.
* To provide counseling and rehabilitation.
* To provide educational support.
* To reunite families and assist with repatriation.
* To promote advocacy and build partnerships with various local organizations, groups and individuals, such as the police, the juvenile board civil society groups and local business owners.
Target groups
The primary beneficiaries are those children and young people:
1. who live on the streets and in slums of Kolkata
2. who are orphaned children
3. who are victims of violence
4. who are abandoned children
5. who are victims of child labour
6. who are victims of the sex trade
7. who are victims of sexual abuse
8. who are victims of underage marriage
9. who are physically and mentally challenged
10. who are victims of drug and other substance addiction
Open Shelter
Open Shelter is used as a 24 hour intervention centre for those needy children who are lost, abandoned, orphaned, exploited, sick and hungry. They are given education, shelter and protection until their family is traced and are repatriated back to their family or if necessary be placed in a Hope Home. There is no age limit in case of needy children. It has been decided that open shelter will also be used as a day care centre for those street and slum children who are deprived of their educational rights.
Night And Day Rounds
Three teams conduct night and morning rounds throughout the week from 10 PM to 2 AM and 4 AM to 6 AM respectively. These teams move in a mobile ambulance, fully equipped with a first aid kit, food, water, clothes, area map, identification card and permission letter from the police, list of local police stations and hospitals and a camera. They rescue vulnerable children from the targeted spots and provide rehabilitation and care.
Crisis Intervention
Through the Night Watch program, high risk children are identified, rescued and repatriated to their families. There have been many cases where particularly girl-children have been rescued who were about to be trafficked into the sex trade. Working with the social welfare department and the Kolkata Police has resulted in permission to rescue children at night and place them in a Hope Home.
Stakeholders
The primary stakeholders of the Child Watch Program are the children themselves and their families. Secondary, but vital to the success of this program are various local organizations, groups and individuals, such as the police, the juvenile board, local representatives, civil society groups and local business owners.
A stakeholder committee comprised of staff, trainers, adolescents and representatives from the other groups, are involved in all phases of the program from planning to decision making, implementation and monitoring and evaluation.
Monitoring and Evaluation
A program monitoring and evaluation system run by The Hope Foundation in partnership with VITAL is used to identify whether specific activities have been undertaken and if the desired outcomes and outputs have been achieved. Indicators are assessed and updated to incorporate necessary changes.
For effective monitoring and evaluation the system has three components:
1. Monthly activity monitoring
2. Quarterly outcome monitoring
3. Annual evaluation
All objectives, activities and results will be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time bound (SMART).
