Catalysts for Social Action

186 childrenâs homes lose licence in Maharashtra

PUNE: Licences of 186 children's homes in the state, including two from Pune district, were cancelled recently by the women and child development department for poor facilities, crowding and also poor maintenance. As many as 16,200 children lived in these homes that were found lacking on various counts during a recent survey carried out by the department.

Apart from the two homes in Pune district, one each from Thane and Raigad, Jalna and a majority from five districts in Marathwada region were among the homes whose licences were cancelled after the survey. There are 1,119 children's homes across the state.

Children without family care be brought into adoption system

New Delhi, Tue Feb 19 2013 : Centre today asked the states to take steps to ensure that all children bereft of family care are brought into the adoption system.

"On the one hand more and more couples in India are now coming forth to adopt children, and on the other hand children legally free for adoption are very few," Women and Child Development Minister Krishna Tirath said, highlighing the need for streamlining policies on this issue.

Addressing an international meet on adoption here, she admitted that at present prospective parents from both India as well as other foreign countries have to wait for long periods for a child and emphasised that more children should be brought into adoption system for giving them permanent family-based care.

"I would request the state governments to ensure that all children who are without family care are brought into adoption system, irrespective of their age or special needs, if any," she said.

1,000 Delhi families in queue to adopt a child

New Delhi More than 1,000 families in Delhi are waiting to adopt a child and data suggests that there are more than 30 lakh orphans in north India. But State Adoption Resource Authority (SARA) informs that Delhi has a three- to four-year waiting list for parents wishing to adopt.

SARA, part of Department of Women and Child Development, recognises 12 adoption agencies.

Officials claim that the adoption process is a complex one, therefore, stretching the waiting period.

Block-level committees for care of destitute children in city’s fringes

"In a bid to identify and provide care and shelter to destitute children in the city’s fringes, block-level committees have been formed. This is part of the integrated child protection scheme of the ministry of women and child development. The Scheme’s principal aims, according to the Ministry, is to reduce the level of vulnerability to ‘situations and actions that lead to abuse, neglect, exploitation, abandonment and separation of children.

How internet has transformed adoption for good and ill..

NEW YORK: In the emotion-charged realm of adoption, the Internet has been a transformative force, often for good, sometimes for ill. It has facilitated matches bringing neglected orphans into loving homes on the far side of the world, and provides crucial advice and support for families at every challenging stage of the adoption process. Yet it also can be an effective tool for scammers and hucksters seeking to exploit birthmothers and would-be adoptive parents.

"I can't imagine an area more ripe for exploitation - people trying to form families or find a place for their unborn child," said Denise Bierly, president of the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys. "It's like Internet dating, except way more scary and dangerous."

First Chemical Castration of Child Rapist

Now, Childless couples prefer to adopt girls

Gone are those days when childless couples prefer to wait for years for a child rather than going for adoption. Now, such couples are coming out of traditional barriers and opting for adoptions. What is more surprising is that they prefer a girl child to a boy.

Create Special Juvenile Police for Children and Train them well : Supreme Court of India

Supreme Court on 12.10.11, pronouncing interim order in Sampurna Behrua V Union of India ( Writ Petition Civil 473 of 2005 ) , has directed States and Union Territories to give full effect to the provisions in Juvenile Justice Act 2000 related to constitution of Special Juvenile Police Units and Juvenile/ Child Welfare Officers in all districts and all police stations respectively. National Legal Services Authority has been directed to issue guidelines for training and orientation of Special Juvenile Police and State Legal Services Authorities through their district level units will provide these trainings. This matter will again be listed in the Court in first week of January-2011 when Court will examine the compliance of these orders.

Delhi High Court Issues Historic Guidelines to eliminate incarceration of children in Jails

In response to a letter petition by HRLN Lawyer Anant Asthana alleging that juveniles are being shown as adults and are being incarcerated into Jails and subsequent discovery of hundreds of juveniles in Tihar Jail in the survey done by teams constituted by National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, Delhi High Court has issued comprehensive directions to eliminate incarceration of children into jails.

Some of the salient features of these historic guidelines are detailed below:

Age Memo: On the line of "Arrest Memo" which was evolved on the direction of Supreme Court in order to curb illegal detention at police stations, Delhi High Court has directed Police to incorporate "Age Memo" in criminal investigations. Copies of such age memos have to be immediately supplied to accused, his/her family and officials of Legal Services Authority.

Read more: http://www.hrln.org/hrln/child-rights/pils-a-cases/893-delhi-high-court-issues-historic-guidelines-to-eliminate-incarceration-of-children-in-jails.html