Audit report highlights sorry state of Haryana’s Child Care Institutions

Bhartesh Singh Thakur

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 23

More than 52 per cent Child Care Institutions (CCIs) in Haryana don’t have counsellors, 67 per cent don’t have medical officers, 58 per cent don’t have sick rooms and 54 per cent don’t have staff residence.

These facts have come to light in a social audit of all the 88 CCIs across the state.

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) had conducted the nationwide audit of the CCIs.

In Haryana, the audit has raised questions over the functioning of the CCIs. Last week, a case of illegal confinement of a 5-year-old mentally challenged girl had come to light at a Panipat shelter home after which Haryana State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (HSCPCR) had recommended for the closure of the facility.

“We have released the report recently and the respective departments of states have already been informed about the findings,” said Priyank Kanoongo, Chairperson, NCPCR.

In Haryana, there are 54 children homes, 20 shelter homes, eight specialised adoption agencies, four observation homes and two special homes. Out of 88 CCIs, 63 come under NGOs or trusts, while 25 are run by government.

As per Juvenile Justice Model Rules, 2016, every CCI should have a management committee and it should meet at least once every month.

Eleven CCIs don’t have management committees, and out of the remaining 77, at 61 places the committees don’t meet every month.

The audit also pointed out that close to 65 per cent of the CCIs in the state don’t have child welfare officers, over 76 per cent don’t have paramedical staff, over 69 per cent don’t have housekeeping staff, 17 per cent don’t have cooks, close to 40 per cent don’t have storekeeper-cum-accountants and over 37 per cent don’t have house mother or house father.

On infrastructure front, only 58 per cent of the CCIs have recreation rooms, and just 42 per cent have counselling rooms. Over 76 per cent have bathrooms and 68.2 per cent have toilets. Close to 32 per cent don’t have child friendly exclusive toilets and about 24 per cent don’t have child friendly exclusive bathrooms, mentioned the audit report.

Chairperson, HSCPCR, Jyoti Bainda said, “We will take required action on the basis of the social audit report.”

According to Juvenile Justice Model Rules, 2016, the children have to be grouped on the basis of age, nature of offence or kind of care required. But 25 per cent of the CCIs don’t follow the segregation process as per age-group for stay and other activities.

As many as 85 per cent of the CCIs don’t have a copy of child protection policy and in 18 per cent there are no adequate measures to prevent any form of physical or emotional abuse of children.

As per rules, every CCI has to maintain case history and counselor’s report of each child but it is not followed in 24 per cent institutions.

The audit says that state inspection committees have to randomly carry out checking, but it has not happened in case of more than 51 per cent homes.

Other shortcomings

• Close to 65 per cent Child Care Institutions don’t have child welfare officers
• 67 per cent don’t have medical officers
• Close to 16 per cent don’t have availability and provision of individual beds for children 
• Over 18 per cent don’t plan meals in consultation with children