686 children live in ‘street situations, without families’ in JK
ICPS rolls out action plan, seeks Govt’s final nod
Srinagar: The Department of Social Welfare has identified that there are 686 children living in street situations in its ongoing process of identification of children who live on streets, roadsides without family or other guardian support.
In this regard, according to the details available with Rising Kashmir, the Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS) under the Department of Social Welfare has initiated a process and has so far been able to trace out 685 children under street situations.
According to the official sources, the details of these 685 children have been sent to the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights. “The identification process is in full swing,” said a senior official who wished not to be named.
He said the identification and rehabilitation of children in street situations is done through a formulated flowchart where in hotspot areas within districts are mapped and shared with the district authorities who rescue the children.
The rescued children are produced before the Child Welfare Committee who provide immediate health screening, counselling and food and are subsequently sent to institutional care or restored with parents, guardians or relatives as the case appears.
Meanwhile, in a related development the department has rolled out a draft policy for Children in Street Situations (CiSS) and has sought feedback from public, institutions, civil society and other stakeholders by or before September 6 to finalise the policy.
Director Social Welfare Mohammad Shaft Chak said that ICPS has been dedicatedly dealing with the CiSS project.
Talking to Rising Kashmir, Harvinder Kaur, Mission Director ICPS said that they have formulated an action plan.
“But we alone can not do that. We need the police force and other coordinating departments to help us in the rescue. We have completed the task and the final action plan is in the process,” Kaur said.
She said her department has submitted the proposal to the government. “Once the policy document is issued then we would be able to submit the action plan,” Kour added.
(Source: Rising Kashmir )
