Northeast

‘Every district should have committee to provide foster care funds under ICPS’

The District Legal Services Authority, Tamenglong held an online legal awareness programme on the topic, ‘Sponsorship of Children Under the Juvenile (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015’ in collaboration with the Manipur State Legal Services Authority (MASLA) under the aegis of NALSA.

ByIFP Bureau

Updated 9 Feb 2022, 2:28 pm

IFP Representational Image

Every district should have a Sponsorship and Foster Care Approval Committee (SFCAC) to review and sanction sponsorships (only for preventive settings) and foster care funds under the Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS), State Child Protection Society (SCPS) programme officer, Social Welfare department, Mala Lisham said on Wednesday.

Lisham was speaking as a resource person at an online legal awareness programme organised on Wednesday by the District Legal Services Authority, Tamenglong on the topic, ‘Sponsorship of Children Under the Juvenile (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015’ in collaboration with Manipur State Legal Services Authority (MASLSA) under the aegis of NALSA.

She said that sponsorship of children under the JJ Act, 2015 is to prevent child destitution and offer holistic child protection. It seeks to provide conditional assistance to ensure that the child continues his or her education. It aims to support and supervise financial assistance to families and group foster homes; offer child care within the family setting and preserve families and encourage parents to fulfil their responsibilities, she said.

Advertisement

The ICPS supports the creation of a sponsorship and Foster Care Fund that will be placed at the disposal of the District Child Protection Unit (DCPU). An amount of Rs 10 lakhs per district per annum should be provided under the scheme, she added.  

Every district should have a Sponsorship and Foster Care Approval Committee (SFCAC) to review and sanction sponsorship (for preventive settings only) and foster care fund. The SFCAC should meet every month and total time taken to dispose of a case should not exceed three months from the date of the receipt of the application, she added.

She elaborated that the SFCAC consists of district child protection officer as chairperson; protection officer (Non-Institutional Care) as member; chairperson or member, child welfare committee as member; representative of SAA as member and representative of a voluntary organisation working in the area of child protection as member.

She continued that the sponsorship is for two approaches, namely preventive and rehabilitative. For selection of children for sponsorship, the criteria mentioned that children in institutions who can be restored to families (de-institutionalization) should be selected.  For preventive sponsorship, children in conditions of extreme deprivation and occupation should be selected, whose family income is not exceeding Rs 36,000 per annum for metro cities; Rs 30,000 per annum for other cities and Rs 24,000 per annum for rural areas, as per the criteria.  

She said that the quantum of sponsorship will be of Rs 2,000 per month per child as of now. Number of children who may be sponsored under the Act for each district per annum is 41. The DCPO will open a bank/post office account in the name of the child, to be operated by the child’s guardian, preferably by the mother, she added.

Advertisement

District and sessions Judge, Imphal West cum chairman, DLSA, Tamenglong, Aribam Guneshwar Sharma said that there are two types of children under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 viz., Child in Conflict with Law and Child in Need of Care and Protection.

Sponsorship is meant for children, who are staying in the child care institutions and other children entitled under the Act so as to bring them in the mainstream of the society, he said.

The programme was attended by par legal volunteers; members of JJB, Tamenglong and Noney; chairperson or members of CWC, Tamenglong and Noney; NGOs; women organisations; Church deacons.

 

Advertisement

First published:

Tags:

childrenmaslsalawlegaldlsanalsafoster care fundsICPS

IFP Bureau

IFP Bureau

IMPHAL, Manipur

Advertisement

Top Stories

Loading data...
Advertisement

IFP Exclusive

Loading data...