ICPS

Integrated Child Protection Scheme

The Govt. of India, Ministry of Women & Child Development has formulated a new Centrally Sponsored Scheme – “Integrated Child Protection Scheme” (ICPS) with the objective to provide a safe and secure environment to the children in the country who are in need of care and protection as well as children in conflict with law. The intervention includes, inter-alia, financial support for setting up and / or maintenance of Homes for children in need of care and protection and those in conflict with law, setting up of child protection structure – state child protection society, capacity building, advocacy etc.

1.Specific Objectives:

a)To institutionalize essential services and strengthen structures.

b) To enhance capacities at all levels.

c) To create database and knowledge base for child protection services.

d) To strengthen child protection at family and community level.

e) To ensure appropriate inter-sectoral response at all levels.

f) To raise public awareness.

2. Guiding Principles:

a) Child protection, a primary responsibility of family, supported by community, government and civil society.

b) Loving and caring family, the best place for the child.

c) Privacy and Confidentiality.

d) Non-stigmatization and non-discrimination.

e) Prevention and reduction of vulnerabilities, central to child protection outcomes.

f) Institutionalization of children, the last resort.

g) Child centered planning and implementation.

h) Technical excellence, code of conduct

i) Flexible programming, responding to local individualized needs.

j) Good governance, accountability and responsibility

3.Approaches:

a) Prevention

b) Promotion of Family-based Care.

c) Financing

d) Integrated service provision – range of services.

e) Continuum of services – a feasible care plan for each child.

f) Community based service delivery

g)Decentralization and flexibility to focus on local needs.

h)Partnership Building and Community Empowerment

i) Quality care, standards for care and protection

j) Building Capacities

k)Monitoring and Evaluation

4.Target Groups:

a)Child in need of care & protection

b)Child in conflict with law

c) Child in contact with law

5.Government – Civil Society Partnership:

a) Government

b) Civil Society Organizations & individuals

i) Voluntary sector

ii) Research and training institutions.

iii) Media and advocacy groups

iv) Corporate sector

c) Community groups and local leaders, volunteers, youth groups, families and children.

i) State Child Protection Society.

ii) Juvenile Justice Boards in every District.

iii) Child Welfare Committee (CWCs) in every District

iv) Juvenile Police Units (SJPUs) in every District

v) Designate Child Welfare Officer in each Police Station.

vi) District Child Protection Unit.

vii) State Adoption Resource Agency

7.For Care, Support & Rehabilitation Services.

a) Emergency outreach services through childline.

b)Open shelters for children in need in urban and semi urban areas.

c)Family based – non-institutional care – adoption, sponsorship, foster care.

d) Cradle baby reception centres.

e) After care

f) Institutional services - Observation Homes, Children Homes, Shelter Homes.

g General grant-in-aid - SCPS will have general grant-in-aid.

8. Statutory support services :

Financial support will be given to the state Govts. for setting up of :-

a) Child Welfare Committee

b) Juvenile Justice Board

c) State Juvenile Police Unit

9. Other Activities :

a) Training and capacity Building.

i) Training of functionaries.

ii) Research & documentation to be entrusted to NIPCCD, SCPS, & DCPU for all stakeholders.

b) Advocacy, Public Education and Communication - to change mind sets at all levels – entrusted with state Child Protection Unit, State Adoption Resources Agency and District Child Protection Unit, Financial support will be given.

c) Research and Documentation

d) Evaluation of Implementation of ICPS

e) Child tracking system – set up Child Protection Management Information System and website for missing children.

f) Monitoring – to be carried out at National, State and District Level.

10. Implementation Schedule

MoU between the Central Government and the State Government was signed on 30th April 2012, and fund has been released by both the Central and the State Governments. Staff for various officers under ICPS has been recruited. State Child Protection Society, State Project support Unit and 8 District Child Protection Units has been established and are functioning effectively.

11. Expected Outcomes of ICPS :

As India moves towards becoming the youngest population in the world by 202, the Integrated Child Protection Scheme is an attempt by the Ministry of Women and Child Development to ensure that ALL children get the opportunity to grow to their full potential in a safe enabling environment. Once put in place we expect that the scheme would result in :

Reduced vulnerabilities of children

Better child protection services

Increased availability and accessibility of a variety of children protection services

Less children in need of care and protection

Increase in the protection of children in family based non-institutional care services including adoption

Better quality care for children in institutional care

Increase in the protection of children / young people leaving institutional care who are self sufficient and gainfully engaged in predictive activity.

Information /knowledge base of children and families at risk.

State Adoption Advisory Committee

In order to promote, implement, supervise and monitor the family based non-institutional programmes including sponsorship, foster care in-country and inter-country adoption at State level, a State Adoption Advisory Committee shall be constituted at every State/UT. The Adoption Advisory Committee will meet quarterly to discuss child welfare measures and ways and means to promote in-country adoption of children. Minutes of every meeting shall be sent to CARA. The tenure of such committee will be three years.

Juvenile Justice Board

Under this Act one Juvenile Justice Board is constituted for the state of Mizoram to exercise powers and discharge the duties conferred or imposed on such Boards in relation to Juveniles in conflict with law under this Act. It consists of a Judicial Magistrate of the first class and two Social Workers. The Bench has the powers conferred by the code of criminal procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974). The Board has power to deal exclusively with all proceedings under this Act relating to juvenile in conflict with law. the powers conferred on the Board by or under this Act may also be exercised by the proceeding comes before them in appeal, revision or otherwise.

The present members of the Juvenile Justice Board for various districts are:

Child Welfare Committee

The present members of the Child Welfare Committee for various districts are:

JUVENILE JUSTICE ACT

Functions and Duties :-The duties and functions of the office of the Juvenile Justice Act is to see that Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of children) Act 2000 and Mizoram Juvenile Justice (Care and protection) Rules, 2003 are properly implemented and to carry out the activities of the decisions of the various Boards and committees constituted under JJ Act.

Adoption

Adoption Cell has been set up to coordinate, regulate and monitor the works of adoption and to render all assistance to the advisory Board on adoption. Deputy Director (A) is to function as Nodal Officer.

To cater to the problems of orphans and destitute children in Mizoram in a child centric way and with the guidance of Centre Adoption Recourse Agency, the Social Welfare Department sponsor a Home under Friends of Society as an Adoption Agency for the purpose of child welfare under the scheme of Shishu Grech. This Home was run from 1st October, 2004 with the grant received for CARA at Chaltlang near Directorate Office of Social Welfare Department.

Mizoram State Council for Child Welfare Aizawl is Scrutinizing Agency for in-country and Inter- country Adoption.