In the wake of rising cases of child abuse at children’s shelters operating under the Women and Child Development department, all children’s homes have been asked to register online, irrespective of earlier registrations.
By Nisha Nambiar
In a month’s time, only those registered online would be recognised, states the WCD.
Homes that desire new registrations as well as existing ones have to register by September. The WCD department is all set to put a final tally of registered homes on their website. With 1,108 homes under the WCD, officials feel that unless registered online, it will not be a transparent process. “We had given them two months time within which all institutions have to register online. This would enable the commissionerate to conduct checks at these institutions,” said Rahul More, deputy commissioner, WCD.
The online registration is for homes or institutions—children’s homes, special homes, observation homes, shelter homes, and children’s homes under section 2(d) of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act 2000, and amended act of 2006 .
Children’s homes mainly operate for children found without any home or a settled place or without any ostensible means of subsistence, a child found begging or on streets or residing with a person from whom he/she faces a threat, a mentally or physically challenged child, ailing children, or children suffering from terminal disease or incurable disease and having no one to support and care for them.
Deputy commissioner Rahul More said online registration would give all details at one click. “The forms are in great detail and those filling the form will have to give details which would include registration as well as area they plan to operate and children they cater to and all facilities they are to provide,” he said. Organisations, whether provided grants or not, will have to register online.
“Registrations will ensure speedy process and will give the commissionerate time to select and register the organisation after conducting checks,’’ he added.
From October, district-wise division of homes will be readied with all details. The form is so extensive that if an organisation applied earlier and was rejected, the cause needs to be mentioned. Only 205 homes have been registered. Post such incidents, the state started measures to check abuse of children at shelter homes, waking up to the need for regulation after a Karjat home was found functioning without approval.
The WCD started corrective steps after the incident. WCD will have data such as phone numbers and locations on the department portal using geographical information system mapping. All information will be on department website.
