Improving Child Protection Structures in Latehar & Simdega Districts of Jharkhand State (UNICEF) With the support from UNICEF, Jharkhand,a program titled Improving Child Protection Structureis being implemented in 50 villages in 8 panchayat (Nawagarh, Tarwadih, Rankikala, Namudag, Kope, Manika, Chatakpur, and Hami) of 3 blocks (Latehar, Manika, Mahuadar) of Latehar district by VEDIC Society. Beside this, district level orientation and coordination was also done at Simdega. The major objectives of this program are as following
To intervene in activating and strengthening structures under ICPS at village, blocks and district levels in Latehar district and at district level in Simdega district, and make them functional.
To sensitize and build awareness in the communities (villages) about child right and protection with focus on child labour.
To strengthen VCPC to track and monitor vulnerable children and ensure community (village) level linkages of identified children and families to alternative care and relevant government schemes
During this year, to achieve these objectives, various activities have been carried out, which may be mentioned as following.
Training to the members of VCPCs (650 – M:332; F:318);
Training of Adolescent members of VCPCs (170 – M:107; F:63);
Training of PRI members at Panchayat Level(146 – M:102; F:46);
Training of Teachers at Panchayat Level(131 – M:75; F:56);
Orientation of BLCPC members (47 – M:41; F:6);
Training to Trainers (TOT) on Child Protection (86 – M:62; F:24);
District Level Orientation at Latehar(40 – M:16; F:24);
District Level Orientation at Simdega(24 – M:19; F:5);
Training of Panchayat volunteers at District Level (25 – M:21; F:4); and
Identification of vulnerable families (e.g. Child victim of intoxication, Orphaned child, Disabled child who has none to look after, Parents who are unable to look after their children, Single Parent or Children of a widow, those children whose parents are disabled or suffering from serious disease, and Vulnerable children of Migrating family) and connecting them with social security schemes (814 Families have been identified out of which 412 families have been connected with different social security schemes).
Key achievements of this project endeavor are as below
Informed and functional sub-district level child protection mechanisms (Block and Village Child Protection Committees) in 50 villages and 3 blocks in Latehar and 9 blocks of Simdega.
53 VCPCs of Latehar have the capacity to link vulnerable families with Social protection and family strengthening programs from the most marginalized communities
About 100 adolescent members of VCPC are able to voice their child protection concerns in the VCPC.
Attendance and protection ministries of the child cabinet in 60 schools of 50 villages of Latehar are aware of the child protection issues and are able to inform the CP concerns to their teachers or any other authority or duty bearer.
Capacities for training, capacity development through agencies/ institutions enhanced and key stakeholders have increased knowledge on child protection in two districts – Latehar and Simdega.
Functional CP MIS established at district level – data uploaded by CWC, JJB, SJPU, DCPS and ICPS scorecard filled by DCPS every month in Latehar and Simdega
DCPU in Latehar (district affected by civil strife) are able to implement VCPC MIS and 53 VCPCs monitor and track protection concerns of children and take necessary action
District child protection action plan under ICPS developed in Latehar and Simdega
To sensitize and build awareness in the communities (villages) about child right and protection with focus on child labour.
