Nearly 40% of children who leave shelter homes after turning 18 are unable to complete schooling, 50% are unable to find paid work and almost 70% are unaware of their after-care entitlements under the law, finds a study conducted by an NGO across five States.
The study, released on Wednesday, is based on the testimonies of 435 “care leavers” and 100 other key stakeholders such as functionaries working on the ground for child protection. The age of the care leavers was between 17 years and 30 years.
While 48% of these young adults were from government-run institutions, 52% were from NGO-run institutions. Out of the total care leavers, 55% were male and the rest were female.
The study was conducted in Delhi, Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Rajasthan by the NGO Udayan Care and was supported by the TATA Trusts and UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund).
‘Never consulted’
The survey highlights the poor implementation of after-care provisions prescribed under the Juvenile Justice Act (JJ Act), 2015, for those who leave child care institutions on turning 18. The study found that 27% of children did not receive any form of after care support such as housing, medical facilities, legal awareness, or emotional support after they left their shelter home.
As many as 78% of them did not have health insurance, 67% were not aware of these services and other schemes designed for them, 44% of them had never been consulted over their care and rehabilitation planning during their stay at a home, as is required under JJ Act.
As far as education, vocational skills and the financial independence of these young adults was concerned, nearly 40% could not complete their schooling even after 18 years, and 34% dropped out during transitioning from a home to independent living.
As many as 48% did not have an independent source of earning, and those who earned had an average monthly salary of between ₹7,500 and ₹8,500.
Need for family
Foroogh Foyouzat, Deputy Representative, UNICEF India, emphasised the importance of shifting away from institutionalisation of children.
“Every child has the right to grow up in a family environment. Placing children in an institution is the last resort. Unfortunately, the trend is the opposite. Globally, evidence shows negative consequences of institutionalisation,” said Ms. Foyouzat.
She added that when children can’t be reunited with their families, they must be placed in alternate family-like environments such as through sponsorship or foster-care.
