Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS)

Overview

Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS) is a centrally sponsored umbrella scheme under which various schemes for children in need of care and protection, and children in conflict with law are covered. The programme is being implementing through Haryana State Child Protection Society (HSCPS). The children in need of care and protection are being provided Institutional as well as Non Institutional Care under the scheme. For providing non Institutional Care State Adoption Resource Agency (SARA) has been set up at State level. At the district level the District Child Protection Unit (DCPU) and District Child Protection Committee under the chairmanship of Deputy Commissioner has been constituted. The Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS) is mainly an instrument to implement the provisions of J.J. Act, 2000 which has been amended as Juvenile Justice Act, 2015 and came into force w.e.f. 15.01.20106. The State has created a Juvenile Justice Fund for providing facilities to the juveniles. Child Welfare Committees (CWC) and Juvenile Justice Board (JBB) have been set up in all the district for the effective implementation of Juvenile Justice (Care & Protection of Children) Act 2015.

Objectives

ICPS brings together multiple existing child protection schemes of the Ministry under one comprehensive umbrella, and integrates additional interventions for protecting children and preventing harm. ICPS, therefore, would institutionalize essential services and strengthen structures, enhance capacities at all levels, create database and knowledge base for child protection services, strengthen child protection at family and community level, ensure appropriate inter-sectoral response at all levels.

Category of Children Covered

1. Children in Conflict with Law

mean a child who is alleged to have committed an offence. Children in conflict with law who enter the juvenile justice system through Juvenile Justice Board (JJB), require residential care and protection during pendency of any inquiry are facilitated Observation Homes as per section 47 of Juvenile Justice (Care & Protection of Children) Act 2015 and the children in conflict with law committed by JJBs who requires long term rehabilitation and protection are sent to Special Homes as per section 48 of Juvenile Justice (Care & Protection of Children) Act 2015. To take care and to protect these children, state govt. is running four Observation Homes (Ambala, Hisar, Faridabad (Boys) and Karnal (Girls) and one Special Home (Boys at Sonipat). Special Home Sonipat has been made functional on 26.12.2016. 66 inmates from Observation Home, Ambala have been shifted to Special Home, Sonipat.

2. Children in Need of Care and Protection

:- For care, protection, treatment, development and rehabilitation of the children in need of care and protection, there are 78 Child Care Institutions in Haryana State run by Govt, Semi Govt. and Private Organizations These Homes are spread across the state in all the 21 Districts and in 47 Blocks and covering approximately 4000 children. The children in need of care and Protection are taken care of by Child Welfare Committees (CWC) which is the competent authority to deal with the cases of Children in Need of Care and Protection.

Services provided through Integrated Child Protection Scheme

1. Institutional Services

All the children in need of care and protection which are found, informed or produced and sent to registered Child Care Institutions of Haryana State by necessary orders of Child Welfare Committee. Child Welfare Committees(CWC) which is the final Authority to deal with the cases of children in need of care and protection and to give decision keeping the best interest of the children. For care, protection, treatment, development and rehabilitation of the children in need of care and protection, there are 78 Child Care Institutions (govt., semi govt. and private) in Haryana State. Under ICPS, for maintenance of children Rs. 2000/- per child per month (food Rs. 1400/- and Rs. 600/- for clothing, medicine, soap, oil etc and Rs. 800/- per child/per year for bedding is being provided to the children. Further, in Govt. institutions additional Rs. 1000/- per child per month is provided by State Govt. Other facilities like educational, medical, vocational and recreational etc are being providing to the children residing in these Child Care Institutions.

Open Shelter Homes:
Open Shelter caters to the children particularly beggars, child sexual substances, street and working children etc. these homes are not meant to provide permanent residential facilities for children but compliments the existing institutional care facilities. Presentably in Haryana 24 Open Shelter (16 Haryana State Council For Child Welfare run and 8 are NGO run) Homes running in various districts. In current financial year (first installment received from GOI), for 16 Open Shelter Homes of district Faridabad, Ambala, Kaithal, Sirsa, Rewari, Narnaul, Hisar, Yamunanagar, Panipat and Bhiwani a sum of Rs. 5.00 lac each have been sanctioned and released. 20 Open Shelter Homes have been registered under section 41 (1) of JJ Act, 2015.

2. Non Institutional Services

a. Adoption

: – Adoption is a process through which a child who is permanently separated from biological parents because his/her parents have died, or have abandoned or surrendered her/him, becomes legitimate child of a new set of parents referred to as Adoptive Parents with all rights, privileges and responsibilities that are attached to this relationship. If any orphan or abandoned child without family support received by anyone, is to be reported immediately either to the office In-charge of the nearest Police Station or the Child Welfare Committee or Child line or Specialized Adoption Agency of that area.

Monitoring

A.4 (iii) Security Mechanisms adopted for protection of children in Child Care Institutions (CCIs)

1. Mapping of Child Care Institutions After the mapping of all Child Care Institutions in year 2012, registration of Child Care Institutions under Section 41 (1) of new JJ Act, 2015 was made mandatory. Presently in Haryana, there are 78 Child Care Institutions, out of which 8 are run by Govt., 6 by semi Govt. and 64 by private organizations.

2. Registration of Child Care Institutions Those Child Care Institutions which are recommended for registration by the District Administration have been issued Provisional Registration valid for one year and thereafter, with due procedure, Regular Registration Certificate will be given, which will be valid for three years. Accordingly, out of 78 Child care Institutions, 70 Child Care Institutions are registered for three years/ five years 4 Child Care Institutions have been provisionally registered for one year under Section 34 (3) of old Juvenile Justice Act 2000 as amended in 2006 and Section 41 (1) of Juvenile Justice Act 2015. Registration of 4 Child Care Institutions are under process in Juvenile Justice Act 2015.

3. Monitoring and Supervision of Child Care Institutions State and District Level Inspection Committees, have also been notified on 27-07-2012 for periodical inspections and reporting. Accordingly, 126 State Level and 385 District Level Inspections have been carried out in the private Child Care Institutions as well as Government run Child Care Institutions.

4. Training and Awareness Generation Various training programmes have been conducted by NIPCCD, New Delhi and the State Head Quarter to train the chairpersons and members of Juveniles Justice Board, Child Welfare Committees, DCPS Functionaries, ICPS Functions and Officials from Child Care Institutions (CCIs). Detail of Training Programmes organized in the year 2014, to 2017.

POCSO

6. Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), 2012 (a) Monitoring and Awareness (Section 43 and 44) National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) and State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCR) designated as Monitoring authority of the Act to monitor the implementation of provisions of the Act. NCPCR and SCPCR may call for report on any specific case within the jurisdiction of Child Welfare Committee (CWC). Onus on Centre and States to spread awareness on the provisions of the Act. Onus on Centre and States to provide training to their officers and other concerned persons.

Achievements

Haryana State is the first State in the country to launch a massive public awareness campaign for Protection of children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), 2012 at all levels. Total of 1871 awareness camps have been organized till January, 2017 in all the districts of Haryana in which 263148 participants have been participated. In Haryana, total 1122 cases have been registered from 01.01.2016- 31.12.2016 under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 as per reports received from Police Department, Haryana.