Women & Child Development

The various Schemes and programmes implemented through the office for the benefit of Women and Child Development are as under :

• Emergency Out Reach Services through Child Line- 1098 (toll free number)
• Open Shelter for Children in Need in urban & semi urban areas.
• Family based Non Institutional Care through Foster Care, Sponsorship , Adoption & After Care.
• Institutional Care Services through Children Home, Observation Home, Special Home, Place of Safety, Fill Institutions & Special Care Unit for Children with Special Need.
• General Grant Aid based/ Innovative intervention to cater the specific need of the state or the Districts to cover all categories of vulnerable children.
• Statutory Support Services of Child Welfare Committee, Juvenile Justice Board, Special Juvenile Police Units, District Child Protection Units.
• Other Services- Human Resource Development for strengthening Counselling Services, Training & Capacity Building, Research & Documentation , Child Tracking System, different IEC Activities.

The objectives of ICPS are to contribute to the improvements in the well being of children in difficult circumstances, as well as to the reduction of vulnerabilities to situations and actions that lead to abuse, neglect, exploitation, abandonment and separation of children. These will be achieved by:

• Improved access to and quality of child protection services.
• Raised public awareness about the reality of child rights, situation and protection in India.
• Clearly articulated responsibilities and enforced accountability for child protection
• Established and functioning structures at all Government levels for delivery of statutory and support services to children in difficult circumstances

Introduced and operational evidence based monitoring and evaluation.

• Children in Need of Care and Protection (CNCP) as defined by the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000.
• Children in Conflict with law (CCL)
• Children in contact with law – as victim, witness.
• Any other vulnerable child (including but not limited to): children of migrant families, children of socially marginalized groups, exploited/trafficked/drug-affected children, children of prisoners/women in prostitution and children affected/infected with HIV/AIDS.

• It includes Voluntary Sector, Research and Training Institutions, Media and Advocacy groups, Community groups, local leaders, Volunteers, youth groups, families and children. To provide protective and conducive environment for children, to act as watchdog and monitor child protection services by inter-alia participating in the village and block level child protection committees.

   

  The statutory mechanisms, as per the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000 and Amendment Act, 2006, are as follows:

  • Child Welfare Committee (CWC)
  • Juvenile Justice Board
  • Special Juvenile Police Unit (SJPU)
  • Every district will have a CWC, JJB, and a SJPU.

  Depending on the size of the district, population, and number of children, one or more of these can be established in a district.

  Child Welfare Committee

  Child Welfare Committee (CWC) are to be set up in every district as per the provisions of the JJ Amendment Act, 2006, as the competent authority to deal with children who are in need of care and protection, and provide for their proper care, protection, treatment, development and rehabilitation.

  Juvenile Justice Board

  Juvenile Justice Boards are to be set up by the State Government in every district as per provisions of the JJ Amendment Act, 2006, as the competent authority to deal with matters relating to children in conflict with law.

  State Juvenile Police Unit 

  The Police have a crucial role to play in the JJ System as they form the first point of contact with the child. Special Juvenile Police Units (SJPUs) are to be set up to handle matters concerned with children in conflict with law and children in need of care and protection.

  The SJPU shall consist of a Juvenile or Child Welfare Officer of the rank of Police Inspector and two paid Social Workers having experience in working with children of which one shall be a woman. Every police station shall designate one officer as the ‘Juvenile’ or ‘Child Welfare Officer’ who has the aptitude, appropriate training and orientation to deal appropriately with children.

Child Protection Services , provides various services/schemes for the care and protection of Children. Child Protection Services for the care and protection of Children . Child Protection Service (CPS) ,Udhampur has played a significant role in protecting children from or against any perceived children or real danger or real risk to their life. The department has also raised public awareness and educates people on child rights.

CPS, Udhampur has been actively working to  provide the basic rights of children, restraining children from child labour in which our department has rescued 04 no,s of children from various areas of distt. Udhampur and restored them back to their families, rescued 05 no’s of girl children from forceful child marriage and rehabilitate 02 of them in the child care Institution and 03 of the restored back to their families and out of 03 only one has been recommended for sponsorship.. This department has helped the families for adoption of children and also helping the children with providing sponsorship to uplift the condition of living of these children.

In addition to this, our department has restored 08 no’s of missing children back to their families who belong to within and outside the states, a case falling under POSCO Act and child abuse were also successfully handled.

 Recently, a video was streaming on social media regarding the physical abuse/torture of a minor girl by her parents, CPS, Udhampur immediately swung into action and recued the minor child and restored to her maternal grandparents for the best interest of the child..

Child Protection Services, Udhampur is achieving its objectives to contribute the improvement in the well being of the children in difficult circumstances, as well as to the reduction of vulnerabilities to situations and actions that lead to abuse, neglect, exploitation, abandonment and separation of children from their families.