Not many in Jharkhand are aware about issues relating to child care and protection. The number of cases dealt by the final statutory authority to decide cases on care, protection and rehabilitation of children known as Child Welfare Committees (CWCs) in the state is about 80-100 per district committee, as against 5,000-6,000 cases per district committee in Delhi.
The fact was highlighted by UNICEF Jharkhand Chief Job Zachariah on Monday during the launch of a three day training programme for the newly constituted CWC. The term of the CWC (2010 -13) for 24 districts expires in 2013. The state government has re-constituted the CWC committee for 2013-16. It has reconstituted committees in 18 districts and six are in progress.
CWC has been vested with a number of powers under Section 29-30 of Juvenile Justice Act 2000 and Section 19-28 of Juvenile Justice Rules 2007. It has powers to conduct enquiry on issues relating to protection, and rehabilitation of children, take suo-moto notice of child protection issues visit institutions where children are kept, among other powers. Infact, it has the powers of the Judicial Magistrate of the first class.
“Due to this unawareness, police often fails to approach CWC when a child suffering through any violence is traced,” said Delhi’s (lajpat Nagar) Former CWC Chairperson Raaj Mangal Prasad who explained the roles and responsibilities of CWC in details.
Notably, CWC can deal with cases relating to child care and protection brought to it by police officer, public servant, child line, social worker or child himself.
UNICEF Child Protection Officer Priti Srivastava said, “There is a shift in thinking in child protection from child welfare to child right’s based approach and from response to prevention of violation and rehabilitation. CWC is the gatekeeper of the state’s services for children in need of care and protection. It is their responsibility to restore children to family settings rather than be housed in institutions. Where a child is found to be in need of care and protection by the state under Juvenile Justice (JJ) Act 2000, the CWC is responsible to coordinate with different agencies including civil society organizations to safeguard the child, which sets out and draws upon the contribution of family members and professional.”
The programme was launched in joint collaboration of the Department of Social Welfare, Women & Child Development with UNICEF.
“According to a Government of India study, 40 percent of children in the country are vulnerable or living in difficult circumstances. In Jharkhand, about one lakh children are orphans or have only one parent as per the Annual Health Survey 2010-11 and about 3-4 lakh children are child labourers as per Census 2001. Besides, about 35,000 children are trafficked from the state and a large number of children are subjected to abuse and violence. About 1.8 lakh marriages every year in the state are child marriages,” Zachariah maintained.
As per Raaj Mangal, CWC ensures necessary enquiries are done to determine whether a child is legally fit for adoption. It can pass an order to discharge, refer or transfer a child if it is found to be in the best interest of the child, grant release or leave permitting him or her to live with him or her parent or guardian to look after him or her for rehabilitation.