Different Shared Living Arrangements for Care Leavers

Different Shared Living Arrangements for Care Leavers

Rainbow Homes Program Different Shared Living Arrangements for Care Leavers

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Knowledge Development and Dissemination Centre (KDDC) of Rainbow Homes Program have prepared this report for private circulation. It is not a priced document. Any part of this report may be reproduced for educational and other non-commercial purposes without written permission, but with appropriate acknowledgment of the source.

Credits Author : Team, Knowledge Development & Dissemination Centre (KDDC), Rainbow Homes Program Designed and Printed by : Print World, Delhi Cover page photo : Dreamstime

Contact: Knowledge Development & Dissemination Centre(KDDC), Rainbow Homes Program, H.No. 1-1-711/C/1, Opposite Vishnu Residency, Gandhi Nagar, Hyderabad- 500 080 Ph.: 040-27660017 | www.rainbowhome.in

TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1: Background and Context.............................................................................................................5 Introduction................................................................................................................................................................. 6 Why Aftercare Support?......................................................................................................................................... 6 Outcomes of Young Adults Leaving Care Institutions..................................................................................... 8 Rationale for The Study: Present Scenario............................................................................................................ 9 Methodology.............................................................................................................................................................. 9 Limitations.................................................................................................................................................................. 11 Chapter 2: Legislative and Policy Frameworks for After Care ...................................................................13 International framework......................................................................................................................................... 14 National policies, laws, and rules ........................................................................................................................ 14 JJ Act and rules.................................................................................................................................................. 15 Housing policy for vulnerable population .................................................................................................... 18 Potential existing schemes and programs .................................................................................................... 20 Enabling Schemes and programs to link with Aftercare ........................................................................... 22 Challenges of After Care in India........................................................................................................................ 24 Chapter 3: Supporting Young People living care-Rainbow’s Experiences and Challenges........................27 Sample of Young Adults ........................................................................................................................................ 28 Transition preparedness and After Care Supports: Rainbow’s Approaches................................................28 Care Leavers’ Perceptions and challenges of Out-of-Home Care: Experiences and Challenges of ‘Housing’.......................................................................................................................................... 34 Perceptions and challenges of the staff.............................................................................................................. 41 Suggestions from Staff of Rainbow..................................................................................................................... 43 Expectations of YA’s outside Rainbow’s care...................................................................................................... 43 Chapter 4: Good Practice Models Supporting Transition from Care ..........................................................45 Alternative living arrangements: Some global practices................................................................................. 46 Documentation of emerging and promising Aftercare interventions by sample organizations: Special Focus on Housing....................................................................................................................................... 47 (i) SOS Children Village: Bangalore...........................................................................................................47 (ii) Don Bosco Ashayalam, Kolkata...............................................................................................................50 (iii) Navjeevan Don Bosco, Hyderabad........................................................................................................50

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(iv) BOSCO Yuvakendra, Bangalore............................................................................................................50 (v) Mahima India, Kolkata.............................................................................................................................58 (vii) Udayan Care, New Delhi ........................................................................................................................60 (viii) Salaam Baalak Trust, New Delhi............................................................................................................63

Chapter 5: Conclusions and Recommendations ........................................................................................67 Effective Transition/Pathway Plans for better coping on stepping out from care......................................68 Effective Housing Supports: Different Living Arrangements for YAs leaving care......................................71 Post care supports to transited care leavers...................................................................................................... 75 References ...............................................................................................................................................77

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Different Shared Living Arrangements for Care Leavers

CHAPTER

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Background and Context

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INTRODUCTION

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oung people from 15 years of age who are transitioning from living in out-of-home (institutional) care to independence1 are a particularly vulnerable, disadvantaged and traumatised groups of populations in our community, with many having experienced some form of abuse or neglect, family violence or parental substance abuse prior to entering care. They often have to develop independent living skills and manage on their own much earlier than other young people.

It is therefore critical that they receive significant planning and support to help them develop the skills to become independent over time.2 The transition from adolescence to adulthood—emerging adulthood—is recognised as a significant stage in the life cycle in developmental, emotional and social terms. Young people leaving out-of-home care face this transition to adulthood without family support and with significant extra barriers such as poor mental health, intellectual and physical disabilities, and developmental delays.

They are further disadvantaged through structural impediments and economic and social policy factors, such as the lack of affordable or appropriate housing and high unemployment.

Aftercare is an important final stage in the continuum of care, as it ensures smooth rehabilitation and reintegration of a child in need of care and protection as they step into adulthood.3 This is especially required, if a child has gone through a long period of institutionalization. Given the structural framework of the child protection system, children in institutional care are required to move out of the care settings to live independently as they attain majority. Most of these children are not ready for independent living. Since they have grown up in an environment of protection and control in the CCIs, they tend to get dependent on the system. In the absence of adequate efforts to

prepare them for transition, they need the Continuum of Care in the form of Aftercare services for an extended period, to enable community integration and independent living.4 Children going to complete 18 years of age (referred as ‘young adults’) in the Children’s/ Special Home, without any family fit to take care of them, are to be prepared to adapt themselves to society and to encourage them to move away from institution-based life. India’s Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000 (JJ Act) and the Integrated Child Protection Scheme recognize the need for aftercare services for institutionalised children to help them ‘lead an honest, industrious and useful life’. It is a period of the life course that is recognised as requiring adequate resources and access to educational, employment and housing pathways and options, in addition to the emotional and financial support of family (Greeson & Thompson, 2014; Avery & Freundlich, 2009).

However, the most important after care interventions for young adults discharging from Institutional care is to support them with shared accommodation arrangements. As per the JJ Act, the aftercare services have to be available for young adults up to a period of 3 years from discharging from the CCIs or until he/ she has reached the age of 21 years. As also identified under JJ act, the child has the right to be consulted and to have his/her opinion taken into account in any matter or procedure affecting him/her and hence while arranging the alternative accommodations for these children, the best interests of the children should be of the paramount consideration.

WHY AFTERCARE SUPPORT? Importance of transition from out-of-home care to independence for young adults:

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Independence is defined as ‘the development of practical, emotional and interpersonal living skills that enable us to cope physically and emotionally and form effective social relationships’ (Dixon J and Stein M 2005, Leaving care: through care and aftercare in Scotland, Jessica Kingsley, London).

This is often referred to as interdependence.

2

Victorian Department of Human Services. (2012). Care and transition planning for leaving care in Victoria: A framework and guide. Melbourne: State Government of Victoria.

3

Beyond 18- leaving care institutions: Supporting Youth Leaving Care, A study of after care practices

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ibid

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Different Shared Living Arrangements for Care Leavers

The transition between late adolescence and early adulthood is a time period in limbo, usually before marriage, completing one’s education and making definite plans for the future in terms of life settlements as well as family settlements. This is the time when youth ideally learn from their current decisions and make goals that move them toward self-sufficiency and a steady income. The transition to adulthood is even more difficult for youth who are removed from their homes and placed in Institutional Care or other “out of home” living situations. Young adults who are within their family settings, continue to receive support and guidance to develop the necessary social skills and networks to support their move from dependence to independence whereas, young adults in institutional care settings have to cope with the additional challenges while settling in independent lives out of institutional care and need special interventions to develop the confidence, resilience and skills to be productive citizens. Young adults in care settings are often more confused than young adults in family settings when it comes to choosing a right career. In the absence of an efficient peer group who can guide the children in care settings, regular intervention is needed from the institution to cultivate skills that allow them to be independent. Studies cited by Stein (2004) however, show that young people in out of home care have to cope with the additional challenges of major changes in their early lives in a far shorter time than other young people. Stein states that young people transitioning from out of home care have compressed and accelerated transitions to adulthood (p.120).

Mendes (2009) cites Cashmore and Paxman (2006) and Mech et al. (1995), and reports that: ‘care leavers lack the social support networks typically utilised by young people as they make the transition from child welfare dependence to adult independence. Many face independences alone and isolated without a safety net of extended family, friends and wider community supports such as neighbours, school teachers, sports coaches, and religious or cultural associates.’ (p.38)

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Incremental transitions from care: The cluster housing documentSummary;dn=641094251314639;res=IELHSS

model.

Young people who leave out-of-home care in CCIs are to be provided with care and support designed to address their particular histories and needs. The transition planning process in any organization should be aiming to prepare them for their future and the capacity to live a good life. Most commonly, as in cases of sample organizations selected for this study, supports to the young people living care is up to the age of 25, with transition plan beginning from the age of 15 years. Types of support commonly offered by all organizations involved in providing out of home care and post care supports to young adults leaving care includes, help to access legal identity documents, financial management, assistance in finding accommodations, education and training, assistance in finding employment or legal advices, assistance in access to health and community services, counselling and support services.

Importance of Housing Supports Housing and homeliness are recognised as a significant issue for young people leaving care (Crane et al., 2013; Johnson et al., 2010; Stein, 2012). Hence, the most important aftercare intervention is to find affordable and adequate housing for young person leaving care, as most of them lack access to family/ parental safety nets. It is often argued that safe, affordable and secure housing options are vital for young care leavers for improving outcomes in other areas relevant to the transition to independence; for example, employment, education etc. Studies found that stable accommodation was associated with the ability of care leavers to form healthy, secure relationships, social connectedness and better work, education and training opportunities.5 Avery and Freundlich (2009) argued that young adults leaving care organizations lack significant social capital compared to their peers. Social capital (as applied to the issue of emerging adulthood) is: An interpersonal resource upon which individuals can

Developing

Practice;

Availability:

https://search.informit.com.au/

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draw to enhance their opportunities in life … It is formed as a result of relationships between parents and children, and is enhanced when the family is embedded in social relationships with other families and community institutions (Avery & Freundlich, 2009, p. 252).

However, very few young adults leaving care organizations have connections with parents or access to family safety nets. Without access to adequate resources and supports, these YAs faces difficulties in negotiating the transition to independence successfully: particularly in the context of economic and social policy factors affecting this transition, such as housing costs and lack of employment (Greeson & Thompson, 2014; Mendes et al., 2011b). As a result, and for a range of other structural and economic reasons, these young people are at the risk of homelessness. Furthermore, these young people may experience a wide range of other issues such as family breakdowns, domestic violence, criminal offending, substance abuse etc. leading to housing instability; for example, frequent moving, transitional or temporary housing or housing uncertainty (Craig, Halfpenny, & Stockley, 2012).

Outcomes of young adults leaving care institutions A considerable body of research from small-scale qualitative studies and international research indicate that young people who exit care experience significant social and economic marginalisation and including a range of poor educational and health outcomes (McDowall, 2009; 2013; Mendes et al, 2011b; Stein, 2012; Stein & Munro, 2008): homelessness and/or housing instability (Crane, Kaur, & Burton, 2013; Flatau, Thielking, MacKenzie, & Steen, 2015; Johnson et al., 2010); significantly higher rates of mental illness compared to the general population (Akister, Owens, & Goodyer, 2010; Rahamim & Mendes, 2015); 6

unemployment/underemployment (Dixon, 2007; Mendes, 2009); substance abuse issues (Cashmore & Paxman, 1996; 2007; Johnson et al., 2010); involvement in the youth criminal justice system (Mendes et al., 2014); early parenthood (Fairhurst, David, & Corrales, 2016); and low educational attainment (Rogers, 2015).

The Beyond 18 study is recently undertaken by a Delhi-based organization Udayan Care, which shows that young people leaving care are placed at a unique disadvantaged situation, due to lack of any preparation for transition from Children Homes as well as the absence of a supportive ecosystem around them once they leave care.6 Based on data collection in five states, this report established the importance of Aftercare support with empirical evidences of how some young adults leaving care, who receives some supports are better placed in terms of social and development outcomes, such as educational attainments, independent living skills, mental health status etc. These include, Lack of aftercare supports in states, especially housing supports for girls by government and organizations providing care Reduced access to mental health services during and post transition from care Acquired educational qualifications and skills not matching the academic needs and young people’s aspirations Lack of independent living skills by young people leaving care Inadequate financial investment by the states for after care to provide comprehensive aftercare services to young people who exit CCIs, resulting in tremendous pressure on young people leaving care in order to start earning early and becoming financially independent.

Lack of access to entitlements and legal identity

Beyond 18 Leaving Child Care Institutions: Supporting Youth Leaving Care; Udayan Care; web: https://www.udayancare.org/upload/ Reports/2019-20/Full%20report_%20Beyond%2018.pdf

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documents, such as domicile, residence proof and accessing financial services (PAN), except Aadhar and Educational certificate.

Gender disparity in the domains of Independent living skills, housing, physical health, emotional wellbeing and financial independence, financial security and access to financial services.

Lack of human resources in CCIs and child protection system in the states to complete responsibility of transition plans and their executions post exit from CCIs.

RATIONALE FOR THE STUDY: PRESENT SCENARIO The care experience, relationships with the staff members, peer support, family situation and organization policies affect the young people’s preparedness to leave care on attaining age of maturity. The preparedness for transition in turns impacts the experiences after leaving care. Young people having smooth transition are more equipped to deal with the nuances of daily life, whereas young adults having sudden or disturbing exit continues to face difficulties and adjustment issues after leaving care. Rainbow Homes Program through its “Futures Program-Udaan” prepares young adults in Rainbow Homes and Sneh Ghars helping them to build confidence, resilience and social skills to facilitate a smooth transition to independent living. Under this program, young adults transiting from Rainbow Homes and Sneh Ghars in cities-Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Delhi are supported with their choice of living arrangements in i) rented group homes, ii) social welfare hostels, iii) working women mess/hostel etc. Some of the young adults living outside in the arrangements mentioned here are already into parttime or full-time work whereas some are pursuing higher studies or vocational training courses beside exploring part-time job opportunities.

Rainbow’s recent research study7 on experiences of young adults who, on attaining age of maturity, got out of the care of Rainbow Homes to settle in life 7

of outside world, revealed a variety of challenges including: job instability, housing instability, lack of social support and lack of financial support, all of which contributed to a greater sense of hopelessness in these young people’s lives. The report showed how despite suffering injustice, discrimination and denials, most of the young adults had been able to overcome obstacles because of assistance in accessing vocational trainings, practical skills required for independent living, integrated employment and social reintegration.

However, in practice, difficulties in the context of living in shared accommodations, post transition from Rainbow Homes persisted. Finding appropriate accommodation was one of the biggest challenges for the young adults leaving care. Because living expenses are quite high in metropolitan cities, finding cheap but secure accommodation has been very difficult. The problems ranged from difficulties in accessing low-cost rented group homes near to the institution or workplace to adjustment issues with flatmates to maintaining rules/ regulations in shared accommodations, due to long working hours for some young adults.

The rationale behind undertaking this study is to document the good practices developed by the NGOs over the years as part of aftercare interventions, particularly in terms of arranging different housing supports. The study also attempts to go deeper in understanding the challenges of young adults in their present set ups of housing and their opinion to improve post transition living. The ultimate goal is to provide guidelines and recommendations on successful interventions of post-transition independent living for young adults, inferring examples of good practices by Rainbow Homes Programs and sample organizations practicing after care.

METHODOLOGY This paper focuses on the aftercare needs of young people in general and the Housing Supports in particular, after leaving care institutions on attaining maturity age, it attempts to find the struggles of the

Journey to becoming- From Streets to Care & Social Reintegration; Life Stories of YAs of Rainbow Homes and Sneh Ghars

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young adults in need of after care services. It examines the housing pathways and options available for these young adults transitioning to adulthood after leaving care, describe experiences of young people who left the residential care and availing different housing options and then goes on to examine the literature on how best to support young people leaving care, in the context of accommodation arrangement outside care system.

Broader Objectives Understand the challenges faced by young people who left the residential care and also the sample organizations providing after care support.

Understand and document expectations of young people who left the care institutions and availing different housing options outside care.

The best practices of support to approaches and processes to prepare and support young people transitioning from out-of-home care.

Effective aftercare interventions that support children and young people to develop the skills and resources to grow into mature young adults.

Best practices by different organizations in providing types of housing options for providing a bridge for young people from care to independence.

Suggest measures for interventions to bring qualitative improvement in aftercare.

Research Questions At the policy and practice levels by organizations including RHP, the study, therefore attempts to find out answers to following questions: - What are the different after care options (focusing on living arrangements) for young adults adopted by different organizations (from temporary care to long term care)? How can the different aftercare living options be translated into practice?

- What are the challenges, expectations and demands of young people who have been

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-

-

-

-

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living independently in different shared accommodations?

What are the different supports given to young adults who are living independently in different shared living arrangements? How these supports can be strengthened?

What kind of capacity building needs are there for the stakeholders to prepare YAs for smoother management of shared living accommodations?

What are the bottlenecks faced by the organizations running after care accommodation arrangements for YAs leaving Institutional care?

Whether there is a transition from supported group living to independent group living in the existing after care models practiced by other NGOs? What actually works better?

Whether mentored living arrangements are better than unsupported living for care leavers?

Sample Designs The study piloted in four sample states viz: Kolkata, Delhi, Hyderabad and Bangalore and followed a mixed method of quantitative and qualitative data collection to understand the present challenges faced by young adults leaving care and the status of after care services by few care organizations in sample states. Organizations selected for the study werei) SOS-children village- Bangalore ii) Don Bosco Ashayalam, Kolkata iii) Navjeevan Don Bosco, Hyderabad iv) BOSCO Yuvakendra, Bangalore v) Baale Maane Trust, Delhi vi) Udayan Care, Delhi vii) Mahima India. Kolkata viii) Salam Balak Trust, Delhi The study aims to understand the aftercare practices, different accommodation arrangements for the children leaving care, challenges in the transition process, etc.

The interview questions also included discussion points to collect recommendations and understand the key informants’ reflections on possible solutions on aspects of aftercare, especially on living arrangements.

Data collection procedures On the first hand, relevant information on different approaches of Aftercare had been collected through primary literature reviews. International and national research studies, articles, laws and policies were studied to understand the existing practices of Aftercare, especially focusing on the available living arrangements for children leaving care institutions.

Secondly, apart from literature reviews, collecting information from stakeholders and key informants in sample organizations in the field of child care was the important component of data collection in this study.

The data collection process included administration of in-depth semi-structured interviews and open-ended interviews with the key informants such as the head of the organizations and other staff responsible for direct implementations. The interviews were taken with prior information about the study and taking due consent from the key informants for the discussion.

Thirdly, the focused group discussions were done with young adults of Rainbow Homes Program who had moved from the care on attaining the age of 18 years and now leaving in different shared accommodations (such as in groups, hostels, swadhar homes etc.) with and/or without support from the organization. The criteria for selection of young adults for focused group discussion was that they completed 18 years of age and must have stayed in Rainbow’s care for a long term.

A total of 67 young adults in 4 sample cities who left care homes at the age of 18 and staying in different living arrangements were included in the FGDs at the time of their convenience, thus not disturbing their regular schedules of work or attending educational classes. FGDs with young adults were arranged either at their places of accommodations or Rainbow’s office premises in sample states. A semi-structured questionnaire guided the FGDs to keep the discussion focused, which was to understand the care experiences of Young Adults in different accommodations. This method of interactive dialogues allowed young adults to express their feelings and experiences in their own language and thus helped us discovering the realities faced by them. All the interviews were audio taped

and later transcribed verbatim, which formed the database for this study.

Since, mostly the qualitative information received regarding aspects of aftercare and that many of the practices, gaps, challenges and opinions on solutions were common across sample states, as described by the practitioners and/or young adults leaving care, the study did not attempt to consolidate qualitative information. Instead, the few common areas/practices are taken in order to elicit pertinent recommendations in response to the gaps.

Ethical considerations Alike all other research studies undertaken by Rainbow Homes Program, this study also followed the organization’s ethical protocols to maintain confidentiality, privacy and dignity of the Rainbow’s young adults as well as stakeholders involved in the study. Before taking the Rainbow’s young adults into focused group discussions, the objectives of the study were clearly explained by the research team as well as the state team members and the information provided by them has been used after due consent of the young adults. Similarly, data from the representatives of NGOs studies for this research were collected after clearly explaining the objectives and taking due consent about usage of information provided by them.

LIMITATIONS - Very small sample size and therefore problems depicted in different living arrangements might be restricted. Extending the sample in other cities might bring rich information on the experience of children and impact on children staying in different living set ups. Also due to small sample size the findings may not be representative of the experiences of the cross section of population of care leavers. Hence the results of this qualitative study cannot be generalised.

- Inability to reach young person leaving care long before and hence young adults in the sphere of Organization’s “Future” program had been reached out. Since many of the YAs interacted Different Shared Living Arrangements for Care Leavers

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had just moved from the organizations and started living outside, the challenges described by them could be exaggerated.

- Another important limitation has been the absence of proper documentation of aftercare practices by organizations. Also, very limited number of literatures existed in public domain on interventions of aftercare, especially in terms of supporting care leavers to cope with challenges of outside living.

- Responses and opinions from stakeholders and young children have been taken as they were narrated. No mechanism to validate responses

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provided by the stakeholders because of lack of documents on interventions shared by them.

- Most of the organizations studied for this report found to be providing emotional and to some extend financial supports to the care leavers after they move away from the organization.

However, in the absence of funding support from government, the interventions for young adults living outside were not uniform in the organizations. Hence, any conclusion on financial contributions required by the care leavers at different point of time after leaving care could not be drawn.

CHAPTER

2

Legislative and Policy Frameworks for After Care

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R

esearch suggests that the impact of national policy decisions and the role of other national and international non-governmental bodies, have a significant influence on the post careleaving experience of young people (Nagrath, 2005; Pinkerton, 2011). Consequently, facilitating legislative reforms, policy development, transparency in practice, and data accessibility is recommended (Ahuja, 2013; Mendes et al., 2014). Evaluations, studies and government reviews/inquiries, however, have demonstrated that there are continuing shortfalls in policy and legislation, and that young people continue to face difficulties in the transition period (Child Protections Systems Royal Commission, 2016; Johnson et al., 2010; McDowall, 2009, 2013; Mendes et al. 2014; Mendes et al., 2016; Senate Community Affairs Reference Committee, 2015; Whyte, 2011).

International framework The UN Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children, 20098 mentions that all states should adopt policies and procedures which favour information-sharing and networking between agencies and individuals in order to ensure aftercare and protection for these children.

In order to support aftercare, it gives guidelines to the agencies and facilities.

To ensure appropriate aftercare and/or follow up with clear policies and procedure that should aim at preparing children to assume self-reliance and to integrate fully in the community, notably through the acquisition of social and life skills, which are fostered by participation in the life of the local community.

The process of transition from care to aftercare should take into consideration children’s gender, age, maturity and particular circumstances and include counselling and support, notably to avoid exploitation. Children leaving care should be encouraged to take part in the planning of aftercare life

Special efforts should be made to allocate to each child, whenever possible, a specialized person who can facilitate his/her independence when leaving care.

Aftercare should be prepared as early as possible in the placement and, in any case, well before the child leaves the care setting.

Ongoing educational and vocational training opportunities should be imparted as part of life skills education to young people leaving care in order to help them to become financially independent and generate their own income.

Access to social, legal and health services, together with appropriate financial

National policies, laws, and rules The national plan of action 2016 refers to “Child Protection” as one of its priorities and recognizes vulnerable categories of children who need intervention. However, the national policy does not explicitly recognize the vulnerabilities of children leaving CCIs and the need for Aftercare.9 Under its priorities to “Strengthen Institutional Mechanisms for rehabilitation children in conflict with law as per provisions of JJ Care and Protection of Children Act”, the NPC 2016 made some actionable points to: i)

Provide for a comprehensive After Care Program to enable children discharged from institutional care to effectively reintegrate into the community, beyond mere financial support; ii) Develop a comprehensive model for the Aftercare facilities, in different districts for children attaining adulthood and who are out of family care network, to make available provisions for continued education, career counselling, mentoring, job placement. iii) Promote peer group support as a part of Aftercare plan

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Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children. Web: https://www.unicef.org/protection/alternative_care_Guidelines-English.pdf

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Beyond 18, Udayan Care

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The National Policy for Youth, 2014 recognizes the need for government policies to be inclusive and to ensure that the youth population in the country do not suffer from stigma or discrimination. The NPC mentioned about prioritizing interventions for youth-at-risk providing “support and create equitable opportunity for all disadvantaged and marginalised youth” with priority areas including education, health, sports, promotion of social values, participation in politics and governance, Employment, Skill development and many more.10 The National Skill Development Policy, 2015 envisioned to create an ecosystem of empowerment by skilling on a large Scale at Speed with high Standards and to promote a culture of innovation based entrepreneurship, which can generate wealth and employment to ensure Sustainable livelihoods. The core objective of the Policy is to empower the individual, by enabling her/ him to realize their full potential through a process of lifelong learning, where competencies are accumulated via instruments such as credible certifications, credit accumulation and transfer, etc. The policy recognizes the vulnerabilities of young people and focus on an outcome-based approach towards quality skilling by providing seamless integration of skill training with formal education.

Despite state and national government commitment to better support young people leaving care, the After Care program, which is the key pillar in the delivery of rehabilitative services for adolescents and young adults out of home care, is a neglected and largely unaddressed program in India from the part of Government. Legislation recognizes the need for After Care services for institutionalized children to help them “to lead an honest, industrious and useful life”. The existing legal framework also recognizes that the transition period is an additional three years of support and services to young people reaching the age of majority.

JJ Act and rules The legal foundation of the Child Protection mandate in India is the Juvenile Justice Act which first came

into force in 1986. The combination of a growing focus on the issue of juvenile justice as well as the pressure faced by the government to submit a Country Report to the Committee on the Rights of the Child outlining concrete achievements, apparently inspired the Ministry for Social Justice and Empowerment to draft a new law, the final outcome of which was the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000 that made the age limit of 18 years uniform for both boys and girls in consonance with the CRC and sought to facilitate speedy disposal of disputes.

This Act was seen to be weak on care jurisdiction and inadequate in after care and follow-up of the children in difficult circumstances, hence amended in 2006 as Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Amendment Act 2006 bringing under the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD). The Act has got amended once again as Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Amendment Act 2015 with some notable changes in clauses. The JJ Act, 2015, which came into force on 1st January 2016, clearly articulates the objective of Aftercare as being a service ‘to facilitate child’s re-integration into the mainstream of the society’ (JJ Act, 2015, Section 46).

Aftercare is defined under Section 2(5), JJ Act, 2015, as “making provision of support, financial or otherwise, to persons, who have completed the age of eighteen years but have not completed the age of twenty-one years, and have left any institutional care to join the mainstream of the society”. Section 46 states that any child leaving a CCI on completion of eighteen years may be provided with financial support in order to facilitate child’s re-integration into the mainstream of the society in the manner as may be prescribed.

The State Governments, by rules made under the Juvenile Justice Act, provide for i) the establishment or recognition of After Care organizations and its functions, ii) a scheme of After Care programme for the purpose of taking care of juveniles or the children after they leave special homes, children homes, on reaching 18 and for the purpose of enabling them to lead an honest, industrious and useful life.

10 National Youth Policy, 2014, pg no- 23

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Juvenile Justice Model Rules (JJR) by WCD Rule 25 (1)(2): Aftercare of Children Leaving Institutional Care: State Government shall prepare a programme for children who have to leave Child Care Institutions on attaining eighteen years of age; Rule 25(3): The District Child Protection Unit shall prepare and maintain a list of organisations, institutions and individuals interested in providing after care as per their area of interest such as education, medical support, nutrition, vocational training etc; Rule 25(5): CWC will examine the effectiveness of the aftercare programme, particularly whether it is being utilized for the purpose for which it has been granted;

rehabilitation programme and follow up for a period of two years in collaboration with after care services; Rule 83(4)(vi)(vii): The Juvenile Justice Fund may be utilised by the State Government for providing after care facilities and entrepreneurship fund for providing capital and infrastructure to persons who have crossed the age of eighteen within institutionalized care, for starting up small businesses to support reintegration into mainstream life; providing support for after care; Rule 84(1)(v): SCPS to develop programmes for Aftercare; Rule 84(1)(x): SCPS to maintain database of Aftercare organisations;

Rule (6): Children who are placed in aftercare programme, shall be provided funds by the State Government for their essential expenses;

Rule 85(1)(xviii): The District Child Protection Unit shall facilitate the implementation of after care; maintain a database of after care organisations and institutions etc. at the district level;

Rule 39(4)(xii): The Management Committees of each CCI must be planning post-release or post-restoration

Rule 85(1)(x): DCPU to implement Aftercare programme as per CWC order and SCPS plan.

State Wise JJ Model Rules DELHI Rule 17(vii)(j): CWC must maintain the following records in a register: children placed in aftercare.

Rule 38(1)(2): State govt to set up after care program for children after they leave CCIs and the program may be made available by the District or State Child Protection Units in collaboration with voluntary organizations for 18-21 years old persons who have been pursuing education or vocational training in the institutions and have no place to go to or are unable to support themselves.

Rule 68(3): The whole-time staff in a after care organization must consist of Case Workers.

Rule 71: Certification or recognition and transfer of Management of after care organizations: The State Government shall, after verifying the provisions made in the organization for the boarding and lodging, general health, educational facilities, vocational training and treatment services may grant certification or recognition for a maximum period of 3 years at a time Rule 81(e): The District Child Protection Unit shall coordinate and implement after care programs in the districts as per CWC order and SCPS plan Form 19 under Rule 38(3): Order of Aftercare Placement: Provide all possible opportunities for her/ his rehabilitation and reintegration in its truest sense.

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TELANGANA (Draft Rules 2017) Rule 24 (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9): Aftercare organizations: State Government shall set up an aftercare programme for care of juveniles or Children after they leave Special homes / Children’s homes; Aftercare programmes shall be made available for 18-21 year old persons; the programme will include, Community group housing on a temporary basis for groups of young persons aged 18-21 years, Encouragement to learn a vocation or gain employment and contribute towards the rent as well as the running of the home, Encouragement to gradually sustain themselves without state support and move out of the group home to stay in a place of their own after saving sufficient amount through their earnings, Provision for a peer counsellor; Stipend till youths get employment; Loans for youths aspiring entrepreneurial activities.

Rule 57: The Superintendent of Home shall maintain Register of aftercare supervision Rule 72: Certification or recognition and transfer of Management of Institutions and after care organization Rule 83(2) (e): The District Child Protection Unit shall implement aftercare as per CWC order KARNATAKA Rule 40 (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9): Aftercare organizations: State Government shall set up an aftercare programme for care of juveniles or Children after they leave Special homes / Children’s homes; Aftercare programmes shall be made available for 18-21 years old persons; the programme will include, Community group housing on a temporary basis for groups of young persons aged 18-21 years, encouragement to learn a vocation or gain employment and contribute towards the rent as well as the running of the home, encouragement to gradually sustain themselves without state support and move out of the group home to stay in a place of their own after saving sufficient amount through their earnings, provision for a peer counsellor; Stipend till youths get employment; Loans for youths aspiring entrepreneurial activities.

Rule 41(4): To promote the rehabilitation and economic independence of youth in the Aftercare programme the State Government shall develop effective networking and linkages with local voluntary organizations for specialized services and technical assistance like vocational training, education, health care, nutrition, mental health intervention, drug de-addition and legal aid services Rule 70(3): The whole-time staff in a aftercare organization must consist of Case Workers Rule 70: Certification or recognition and transfer of Management of Institutions and aftercare organizations.

Rule 81(e): The District Child Protection Unit shall coordinate and implement after care programs in the districts as per CWC order and SCPS plan WEST BENGAL Rule 25 (1)(2) : Aftercare of Children Leaving Institutional Care: State Government shall prepare a programme for children who have to leave Child Care Institutions on attaining eighteen years of age; Rule 25(3): The District Child Protection Unit shall prepare and maintain a list of organisations, institutions

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17

and individuals interested in providing after care as per their area of interest such as education, medical support, nutrition, vocational training etc Rule 25(5): CWC will examine the effectiveness of the aftercare programme, particularly whether it is being utilized for the purpose for which it has been granted Rule (6): Children who are placed in aftercare programme, shall be provided funds by the State Government for their essential expenses Rule 39(4)(xii): The Management Committees of each CCI must be planning post-release or post-restoration rehabilitation programme and follow up for a period of two years in collaboration with after care services Rule 78(4)(vi)(vii): The Juvenile Justice Fund may be utilised by the State Government for providing after care facilities and entrepreneurship fund for providing capital and infrastructure to persons who have crossed the age of eighteen within institutionalized care, for starting up small businesses to support reintegration into mainstream life; providing support for after care Rule 79(1)(v): SCPS to develop programmes for Aftercare Rule 79(1)(x): SCPS to maintain database of Aftercare organisations Rule 79(1)(xviii): The District Child Protection Unit shall facilitate the implementation of aftercare; maintain a database of child care institutions, specialised adoption agencies, open shelter, fit persons and fit facilities, registered foster parents, after care organisations and institutions etc. at the district level

Housing policy for vulnerable population The formulation of National Housing Policy is an ongoing process which started in 1986 and revised in 1998. However, the urban housing sector has been facing emerging challenges with regard to availability of affordable shelter, growth of slums, and gaps in provision of basic services to the urban poor. The National Urban Housing & Habitat Policy 200711 seeks to promote various types of public-private partnerships for realizing the goal of “Affordable Housing for All’ with special emphasis on vulnerable section of society such as, Scheduled Castes / Tribes / Backward Castes / Minorities, empowerment of Women within the ambit of the urban poor. The National Urban Housing and Habitat Policy, 2007 also lays special emphasis on provision of social housing for the EWS/

11 https://www.nhb.org.in/Urban_Housing/HousingPolicy2007.pdf

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Different Shared Living Arrangements for Care Leavers

LIG categories so that they are fully integrated into the mainstream of ecologically well-balanced urban development.

In order to augment sustainable and affordable housing stock along with related infrastructure like water, drainage, sanitation, sewerage, solid waste management, electricity and transportation, the policy instructed states to have Action Plans of that should focus on accelerated flow of funds for housing (including various cost-effective slum-related options) and infrastructure. The State/UT Action Plan should also encourage promotion of planned and balanced regional growth, creation of sustainable employment opportunities, protection of weaker sections/ vulnerable groups preferably in their present residential location, conservation of urban environment and promotion of public private partnerships.

The Five-Year Plans and Housing for poor The policies of housing have been cited since first five-year plan in India. In the First Five Year Plan (195156), the emphasis was given on institution building and on construction of houses for Government employees and weaker sections.

The scope of housing programme for the poor was expanded in the Second Plan (1956-61) including schemes like Rural Housing, Slum Clearance and Sweepers Housing.

The general directions for housing programmes in the Third Plan (1961-66) were co-ordination of efforts of all agencies and orienting the programmes to the needs of the Low-Income Groups. A Scheme was introduced in 1959 to give loans to State Govts. for a period of 10 years for acquisition and development of land in order to make available building sites in sufficient numbers.

In the Fourth Plan (1969-74), Scheme for Environmental Improvement or Urban Slums was undertaken with a view to provide a minimum level of services, like, water supply, sewerage, drainage, street pavements in 20 cities.

The Urban Land (Ceiling & Regulation) Act was enacted to prevent concentration of land holding in urban areas and to make available urban land for construction of houses for the middle and low-income groups in Fifth Plan (1974-79).

The thrust of the planning in the Sixth Plan (1980-85) was on integrated provision of services along with shelter, particularly for the poor.

The Seventh Plan (1985-90) explicitly recognised the problems of the urban poor and for the first time an Urban Poverty Alleviation Scheme known as Urban Basic Services for the Poor (UBSP) was launched.

As a follow-up of the Global Shelter Strategy (GSS), National Housing Policy (NHP) was announced in 1988. The long-term goal of the NHP was to eradicate houselessness, improve the housing conditions of the inadequately housed and provide a minimum level of basic services and amenities to all.

The Eighth Plan (1992-97) identified that widening gap between demand and supply of infrastructural services badly hitting the poor, whose access to the basic services like drinking water, sanitation, education and basic health services.

According to the policy thrust for the Ninth Plan (1997-2002), state and local governments were expected to act as manager of the whole housing and urban development process.

The Tenth Plan (2022-2007) suggested provision of free housing only to the landless SC/ST families and shift to a credit-cum subsidy scheme for the other BPL families, since National Common Minimum Program (NCMP) promised housing for weaker sections in rural areas to extend on a large scale.

In Eleventh Plan (2007-12), the Bharat Nirman Program has recognized and accorded due priority to the need to end shelter lessness and planned to implement the housing component of the program in parallel with Indira Awas Yojana scheme. The Twelfth Plan has constituted a ‘Working Group on Rural Housing’ to enable meaningful collaborations between diverse stakeholders – Central and State Governments, Panchayati Raj institutions (PRIs), beneficiary families, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and, corporate bodies to address housing shortage in rural India, estimated at 40 million households until the end of the twelfth plan period.

Different Shared Living Arrangements for Care Leavers

19

In the Twelfth Plan (2012-2019), the Planning Commission constituted a ‘Working Group on Rural Housing’ that recommended a multi-pronged approach to service the financial needs of different segments of the rural population for house construction and up-gradation, such as, support BPL families under IAY, provide ‘productive housing’ loans for BPL, enhance access to land by the poor, improve quality of IAY Houses etc.

Source: Govt of India, Ministry of Urban Development

Potential existing schemes and programs After care provisions for young person leaving care in order to help them sustain themselves during the transition from institutional to independent life are very limited in the country. There are very limited number of schemes and programs designed exclusive for children leaving care, except Integrated Child Protection Scheme which has an exclusive component of Aftercare. Other social security and welfare schemes where care leavers can access benefits are mostly provisioned for youth, and not exclusively for children leaving care.

Integrated child protection scheme and aftercare provisions under ICPS The only scheme that provides guidelines for Aftercare program with selection of suitable Government and voluntary organizations to run the Aftercare program is the Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS). As per the revised framework of ICPS, the District Child Protection Units (DCPUs) are shouldered responsibility

to implement Aftercare Program for children without family or other support who leave institutional care after they attain 18 years of age, so that these young adults sustain themselves during the transition from institutional to independent life. DCPU shall identify suitable voluntary organizations that will run such Aftercare Programs.

These organizations shall formulate an after-care program for these children, providing food, clothing, health care and shelter; age appropriate and need based education, vocational trainings etc. for a period of three years in accordance with the provision laid down under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act 2000 and its rules developed by central and state governments. Based on the caseto-case basis, a JJB/CWC can order placement of a juvenile/child in the aftercare program. The JJB/ CWC shall mark a copy of the order to the DCPU for arranging aftercare for the juvenile/child as per the provisions laid down under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act 2000 and respective State Rules under the Act.

After Care components in ICPS Encourage young persons to learn a vocation or gain employment and contribute towards the rent as well as the running of the home Encourage young persons to gradually sustain themselves without state support and move out of the group home to stay in a place of their own after saving sufficient amount through their earnings Provision for a peer counsellor to stay in regular contact with these groups to discuss their rehabilitation plans and provide creative outlets for channelizing their energy and to tide over the crisis periods in their lives Provision of stipend during the course of vocational training until the youth gets employment Provide loans for youths aspiring to set up entrepreneurial activities

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Community group housing on a temporary basis for groups of 6-8 young persons Housing Models under ICPS12 Dedicated institution for Aftercare to be considered in metropolitan cities (Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai and Kolkata) with maximum capacity of 25 young adults. Here, the home is run by the aftercare organisation including, housekeeping, kitchen etc. However, day to day management could be done by children’s committees.

Young adults to stay in groups of 4 to 8 in an accommodation taken on rent in a suitable, safe residential locality as a family unit and learn to share responsibilities of running their own kitchen and home. Here, the Aftercare organizations are to assist in providing rent and deposit for accommodations and see that the household duties are amicably shared by the aftercare young adults.

In cases the number of young adults is very low or in the absence of suitable NGOs, a separate portion to be earmarked for children of 18+ age group in existing children’s Home run by the Government / NGO. In such cases, the CCIs have to ensure provisions of all meals and daily needs for After Care groups, where the young adults could be encouraged to participate in cooking, cleaning etc.

The State Child Protection Societies (SCPS) releases grants up to a maximum of @Rs.2000 per child per month to the organisation running the aftercare program based on the individual needs of every child.

This amount shall include basic needs of the child/youth including food, clothing, health care and shelter; age appropriate and need based education and vocational training; stipend; and any other requirements. States can apply for funds from the State Child Protection Societies to run Aftercare Program, based on the number of districts in the particular state:

i.

States with less than 15 districts: Rs 15 lakhs

ii. States with more than 15 districts: Rs 30 lakhs iii. States with more than 30 districts: Rs 45 lakhs In spite of existing measures of provision, in legal form through JJ Act and schematic form through Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS), the Aftercare Programs on the part of Government of India, lacks planning, adequate financing and also fails to meet the parameters of proper After Care delivery.

Components of After care in ICPS in sample states13 States

No. of After care

Services

Financial support Rs 30 lakhs

West Bengal

7 govt run and 2 NGO run Aftercare Homes

State envisages to provide facilities such as, counselling, vocational training, job training, opening bank account, to practice savings, providing Aadhaar card, Ration card, Voter ID card etc.

Delhi

2 govt run aftercare homes- one for girls and one for boys

It provides aftercare services like training in nursing and mid-wife, nursery Rs 15 lakhs teacher training, training in cutting and tailoring, beauty culture and hair dressing through Industrial Training Institute (ITI), a Government of Delhi institution to rehabilitate the residents

12 Guidelines for After Care of Children under ICPS (Web: https://nipccd-earchive.wcd.nic.in/sites/default/files/PDF/Guidelines%20For%20 After%20Care%20of%20Children%20under%20ICPS.pdf) 13 ibid Different Shared Living Arrangements for Care Leavers

21

Karnataka

1 exclusive Aftercare home and 2 Aftercare units attached to Children Home for Boys and Children Home for Mentally Challenged Boys at Bangalore

Telangana

3 Service homes

These Homes encourage them to pursue education in high Rs 30 lakhs schools, ITI, Polytechnic and Colleges and also help them to secure a job, mainly to bring them to the main stream of society which ensures financial sustainability and life settlement. In this regard, initial handholding is planned by the Department for older children with a provision of Rs.5000 per month after the child released from Institutions. Govt is also planning to sanction a lumpsum amount of Rs.25000 for these children in case any of the young adults want to enrol in certain training/vocational courses or pursue higher education. The department has the plan of providing autorickshaws for young adults those having driving license and aspiring to pursue their career as drivers.14 Children of 16 years and above are sent to the residential diploma Rs 45 lakhs colleges called as ‘service homes’ funded by WCD to complete their vocational skill training courses. Service Homes were initially meant for deserted wives, widows and destitute women coming from financially/ economically backward families. However, since 2008–2009, the aim and objectives of the Service Home, Hyderabad has been changed, reserving 70% of the seats for orphans, Destitute including trafficked victims. Children can stay and study in these service homes till the age of 19 and at the same time can involve themselves in part time job to earn pocket money.

Enabling Schemes and programs to link with Aftercare Health schemes Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, earlier known as National Health Protection Scheme (NHPS) is a component of Ayushman Bharat, a flagship health assurance scheme of Government of India, launched as recommended by the National Health Policy 2017. It aims to provide health cover of Rs. 5 lakhs per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization to poor and vulnerable families. The scheme also covers up to 3 days of pre-hospitalization and 15 days post-hospitalization expenses such as diagnostics and medicines. However, the inclusion of beneficiaries is based on information collated by the Socio-Economic Caste Census of 2011 (SECC 2011) for the families as the unit, but not for care leavers or youth staying independently.

Schemes to support education and vocational skills Schemes towards Scholarships for SCs STs, OBCs and minorities are run by the Government of India and the state governments to help students pursue their studies at high education levels. The centrally-funded scholarships are sponsored by the Government of India and disbursed by different states while the statefunded scholarships are sponsored and disbursed by respective state governments only. An SC ST OBC Scholarship offers suitable financial assistance to SC/ ST/OBC candidates at post-matric level of study.

The Merit-Cum-Means Scholarship for the Student belonging to Minority category, on the other hand, aims to provide financial assistance to the poor and meritorious students belonging to minority communities to enable them to pursue professional and technical courses in undergraduate and post graduate levels.

Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) is a skill

14 Child Protection & Governance: Implementation Status of Integrated Child Protection Scheme(ICPS), published by Rainbow Homes, India

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development initiative scheme of the of the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE), Government of India to increase aptitude, aspiration and knowledge towards employable skills and to increase working efficiency of unemployed youth, college /school dropout by providing quality training to them. The scheme trains individuals on soft skills, personal grooming, behavioral change for cleanliness, good work ethics to increase employment opportunity and demand in markets.

Schemes to enhance employment opportunities: Prime Minister Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP)15 is a merger of two schemes, namely, Prime Minister’s Rojgar Yojna and Rural Employment Generation Programme that focuses on generating selfemployment opportunities through micro-enterprise establishments in the non-farm sector by helping unemployed youth. It provides financial assistance to youth, with minimum education qualification of passing standard VIII for projects costing above Rs 5 lakh in the service sector and above Rs 10 lakh in the manufacturing sector. Self Help Groups (including those belonging to BPL provided that they have not availed benefits under any other Scheme), Institutions registered under Societies Registration Act,1860; Production Co-operative Societies, and Charitable Trusts are also eligible. Hence, young person leaving care organizations can be linked to this scheme directly to access benefits.

Rajiv Gandhi Swavlamban Rojgar Yojna (RGSRY) in Delhi is designed, developed and promoted by the Delhi Khadi & Village Industries Board with the help of Government of NCT of Delhi, this scheme aims to provide the employment opportunities to the unemployed youths, artisans, trained professionals, skilled technocrats and entrepreneurs. It aims to provide loan up to Rs. 3,00,000 for the school/college dropouts above the age of 18 years, Individual

entrepreneur or passed out candidates from any technical/professional institute recognised by Govt or its undertakings.

Dilli Swarojgar Yojana’ for SC/ST/Minorities in Delhi through DSCFDC16 is implemented in Delhi through Delhi Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, Financial and Development Corporation (DSCFDC). This DSCFDC was set up to promote self-employment opportunities for the people of SC/ST communities. Under the plan scheme “Dilli Swarojgar Yojana” a loan up to 5 lakhs is provided to an entrepreneur willing to start a venture in Delhi.

Housing Schemes and programmes Housing is a basic requirement for human well-being.

Not only do all citizens need shelter, they also require in their houses such facilities as drinking water and proper sanitation. India has undertaken, from time to time, different schemes and programmes aiming at provision of housing as laid down in five-year plans. Also, states governments announced their housing programmes from their own outlays. However, the success of these programmes was limited and inadequate. A good evaluation of these programmes and their impact assessment is missing, except for few such programmes which reflect a major change in the approach.17 The list of schemes undertaken so far on housing provision is given below.

Among these, two important schemes can be brought under aftercare program for children leaving care.

Pradhan Mantri Gramodaya Yojana (PMGY), in the field of provision of rural shelter to extend benefits to rural poor living below the poverty line, belonging to SCs/STs, freed bonded labourers and non-SC/ST categories, constructing dwelling units, provision of smokeless chulha and Sanitary Latrine. On the other hand, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna (PMAY), earlier

15 https://msme.gov.in/11-prime-ministers-employment-generation-programme-pmegp 16 Economic Survey, 2016-17; web- http://delhiplanning.nic.in/sites/default/files/Chapter%2B17.pdf 17 Ramakrishna, June 2007, Housing Policy in India: Chellenges and Reform (Article in Review of Development and Change • June 2007)

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Year of launch

1952 1954 1956 1959 1959 1956 1959 1959 1971 1972 1980 1985 1990 1996 1998 1999 1999 2000 2001

Name of the scheme/program Integrated Subsidised Housing Schemes for Industrial Workers and EWS Low Income Group Housing Scheme Subsidised Housing Scheme for Plantation Workers Middle Income Group Housing Scheme Rental Housing Scheme for State Government Employees Slum Clearance and Improvement Schemes Village Housing Projects Scheme Land Acquisition and Development Scheme Provision of House Sites of Houseless Workers in Rural Areas Environment Improvement of Urban Slums Sites and Services Scheme Indira Awas Yojana Night Shelter Scheme for Pavement Dwellers National Slum Development Programme Two million Housing Programme Credit-cum-Subsidy Scheme for Rural Housing Samagra Awaas Yojana Prime Minister Gramodaya Yojana Valmiki Ambedkar Aawas Yojana

Challenges of After Care in India

of a pan-India mapping and review of Child Care Institutions (such as, Children Home, Open Shelter, Observation Home, Special Home, Place of Safety, Specialized Adoption Agency, etc) registered under JJ act and other care institutions across states in the country. The objective of the report was to create a National database on functioning of the CCIs in the country based upon their legal status, staffing, facilities, support systems, funding, management, adherence to norms and standards, etc., work out action plans, as required, for improving the working pattern of the CCIs and its children care services.

As per the provisions under Juvenile Justice Act, the states should run the Aftercare Programme for children without family or for those who leave institutions after completing 18 years of age. The ministry of WCD in 2017, constituted a committee to undertake the task

The committee report does not provide information about after care program by the care institutions.

However, it revealed that a huge number of orphan, abandoned, surrendered, homeless, single parent children and children with Parents/ Guardian unfit/

known as Indira Awas Yojna (IAY) aims to offer sustainable and affordable housing to individuals and families belonging to the economically challenged section of society. It prioritizes housing for women, as well as minorities, including those belonging to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. The care leavers can be linked with these two schemes or there can be advocacy initiative integrate these housing schemes into after care services for children leaving care.

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Different Shared Living Arrangements for Care Leavers

CCIs and children in care

Delhi

Telangana

West Bengal

Karnataka

Total CCIs

125

494

327

911

Total CNCP

3816

16224

12425

30112

No of homeless children in CCIs

316

630

281

724

No of orphan children in CCIs

437

4046

1899

2964

No of abandoned children in CCIs

229

206

933

729

No of surrendered children in CCIs

38

906

314

516

No of mentally and physically challenged children in CCIs

234

1463

907

4088

No of children of single parents in CCIs

1397

6584

2386

10080

No of Runaway/Missing children of single parents in CCIs

340

70

290

367

No of children in CCIs with Parents/ Guardian unfit/ incapacitated to take care Children staying more than 3 years in CCIs

1042

5777

5102

13247

600

99

2131

269

92

167

129

374

31

316

184

510

CCIs providing long term care and entitled to aftercare of children leaving at age of maturity (registered CCIs or applied under JJ act) CCIs not entitled to aftercare support to children leaving care (unregistered under JJ act)

Source: The report of the committee for Analysing Data of Mapping and Review Exercise of Child Care Institutions under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 and Other Homes, Vol 1, Constituted by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, on 2nd May 2017

incapacitated to take care are placed in CCIs, many of which are staying in care institutions for long term.

JJ Act, 2000 mandated that every state should run the Aftercare Programme for children without family or for those who leave institutions after completing 18 years of age. Such young adults are the state’s responsibility until they turn 21 and, in exceptional circumstances, for two further years. In this regard, District Child Protection Societies (DCPS) are shouldered responsibility to identify organisations to run the programme for these children providing food, clothing, health care and shelter; age appropriate and need based education and vocational training. However, according to one of the studies undertaken by Rainbow on assessing status of implementation ICPS18, there are very less

interventions for children reaching 18 years from the part of Government, largely because After Care Homes are almost non-existent and in case exists in certain districts are extremely few in number.

Specifically in terms of housing support, the number of homes by Govts caters very less number of children and does not provide quality services required for so many numbers of children in leaving care who are in need of protection.

As per the same report that studied status of ICPS in 7 states viz, west Bengal, Karnataka, Tamandu, Delhi, Maharashtra, Telangana and Bihar, 5 cities had after care homes- Delhi with 2 aftercare homes, Karnataka with 3 aftercare homes, Telangana with 3 aftercare

18 Child Protection & Governance: Implementation Status of Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS), published by Rainbow Homes, India

Different Shared Living Arrangements for Care Leavers

25

homes run by the government and non-government organizations, which are large inadequate compared to the number of children attaining age of maturity from CCIs every year. There are about 370,000 children lodged in 9,589 childcare institutes across the country, as per September 2018 report of the Jena Committee, which had been instituted by the government to map childcare institutes in the country.

Besides inadequacy in numbers, the services provided in the existing after care homes are inadequate to cater to the needs of so many children leaving care every year, The JJ Act also mandated that an

aftercare programme should include group housing on a temporary basis for groups of six to eight persons. However, a study by Udayan Care covering five states20 such as, Delhi, Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Rajasthan show that less than half of all care leavers received housing support under Aftercare and only 61% of all Aftercare receivers received housing support. The report also points out the gender disparity in Aftercare Housing for girls as there are no Aftercare homes for girls, except one each in Delhi and Maharashtra. Furthermore, even among those who received aftercare services, 39% did not receive housing support.21

Delhi has two aftercare homes, one for boys in northwest where there are around 13 boys currently, and one for girls in west Delhi where there are around 25 girls.

There are 7 Govt run aftercare homes in West Bengal providing facilities like counselling, vocational trainings, job training with linkages with corporates and civil society groups, identity such as Aadhar number, ration cards, voter ID card etc, providing health care through tie ups with nearby medical centres/doctors, carrying out life skills programme, monitoring & follow up etc.

There is one govt-run After Care home for girls in Patna where children without parents/ families are sent upon reaching the age of maturity.

In Karnataka, the Karnataka State Integrated Child Protection Society (KSICPS) has given instruction to all the Superintendents of CCIs to plan for pre-release and post-release program and instructed them to arrange BPL card, promotion certificates, bank accounts, driving licenses etc. for the children attaining majority so that they can be mainstreamed into the society. In this regard, initial handholding is planned by the Department for older children with a provision of Rs.5000 per month after the child released from Institutions so that they can arrange for their accommodation, continue education in high schools/ ITI/ Polytechnic or Colleges and can search for secure employment opportunity.19 In Chennai, three govt run aftercare homes are established for young adults leaving care to income generative trades and enable them to pursue their higher studies after reintegration with their family / society.

19 ibid 20 Beyond 18: Leaving Child Care Institutions - A Study of Aftercare Practices in Five States of India (2019) 21 ibid

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CHAPTER

3

Supporting Young CARE LEAVERS: Rainbow’s Experiences and Challenges

Different Shared Living Arrangements for Care Leavers

27

T

his chapter details the qualitative information received from the FGDs with 67 randomly selected Young Adults of Rainbow Homes Programs who are into different living arrangements outside Rainbow’s care and the representatives of 8 sample organizations studied for this research across four states. While the Young Adults of Rainbow staying outside on attaining maturity reflected on their post transition learnings and challenges being faced, the stakeholders reflected on strategies to prepare Young Adults for transition, service and supports provided to the care leavers in their respective organizations.

Sample of Young Adults The sample of Young Adult under Rainbow Homes Program interviewed for this study aged between 18 years to 22 years. A total of 67 such YAs are presently staying in different living arrangements in the sample cities, as per their choices and conveniences. Some of the YAs interviewed for the study were working in different domain such as, salons, fitness centre, garment industry, retail sector and confectioneries whereas some were into different academic and vocational courses at the time of interview. In terms of living arrangements, 46 YAs were into Group Living arrangements and rests were either in Social Welfare hostels run by Governments or working women hostels or private hostel facilities. In Delhi, young boys

transited after 18 years are kept in the ‘parvaaz jeevanshala’ – the youth hostel inside Rainbow Homes office premise.

Transition preparedness and After Care Supports: Rainbow’s Approaches Preparation for leaving care is a continuous planning and assessment process that should formally commence by the time the young person reaches 15 years of age, intensifying in the period leading up to exit from care.

The purpose of the preparation phase is to provide a high quality, stable therapeutic system of care that develops and promotes social and personal skills, education, vocational training and preparation for long term. There is a strong association in the literature between good preparation for leaving care, and better outcomes and coping after leaving care (Mendes et al., 2011b). Rainbow’s “Future” program supports the young adults through this transition from the Rainbow home to a stable, independent and responsible adult life. The program spans sixteen to twenty-three years of age within which the young adults are expected to complete their education and find a stable job according to their interest and aptitude. From the age of 16, the care team in Rainbow start working on designing strategies and actions required to build the young person’s independent living skills including, social skills to help the young adults negotiate with peers and other adults in the community; managing work and acquiring jobbased skills; budgeting and managing money; managing relationships; secure safe, affordable accommodations; housekeeping and self-care etc. Till 18 years of age, that is till the time young adults are with Rainbow, the preparation for transition continues while supporting in all needs including their living and personal needs, health, education etc.

Helping in Individual Life Plan preparation and periodic up-dation: Young adults do not have clear or firm ideas about their future at this age. They are often unaware of the diverse options

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Transition from Rainbow’s care: Mixed Feelings of YAs Many YAs, especially girls felt sceptical about how they would survive without anyone’s support. Team gave them confident that Rainbow would support, if challenges come Some YAs were excited as they would be living alone, will have free personal time etc Some girls were scared to leave Rainbow as they thought they did not have required life skills. For example, Girls in Kolkata were scared about how to travel alone by bus or train to go to the job. Initially home team used to accompany them to their workplaces since they did not know the roads etc On the contrary, many of the YAs felt exited initially that they would not get rules and regulations as imposed in rainbow homes. Girls in Bangalore were excited about transition because of freedom of wearing any attire and do make-up which were restricted in Rainbow homes.

Children coming under transition program (16+) gets excited about the fact of going outside Rainbow on attaining maturity. Even at the time of moving from Rainbow, they generally be excited but when they start staying outside, all challenges come to them and fears on how to cope up challenges come at that time. - Care team in Delhi

they have in education and jobs and what each field entails, whether that is aligned with their own interest and capabilities, the efforts they need to put in and the opportunities available.22 Turning 16 year, every child is assisted by the care team to develop their own Individual Life Plans the young adult’s goals regarding continuing education, occupation, self-improvement, living arrangements after eighteen etc. and how they plan to achieve these goals.

Enhancing Life skills: Life exposure sessions and exposure visits are organized regularly for middle/high school students. In order to reduce young children’s anxiety about how to cope up after transition, state teams across all 4 states arranged different workshops and life skill trainings right from all children turning 16 years of age. For example, in Kolkata, nutrition workshops conducted to make girls aware of the supplementary food, low-cost food items, easy methods of cooking nutritious meal in low cost etc.

Secondly, young children across all homes are given exposure to fill up forms such as, admission forms in college, deposit forms or writing cheques

in banks, etc. Counselling sessions are given to girls citing practical examples about how to stay alert while in the road, or stay alert from being exploited by strangers or being cheated from job consultancy firms etc. As part of preparing children for living outside Rainbow’s care environment, children across sample cities were taken to grocery shopping or markets on turning 16 years of age, so that they can learn how to bargain and buy vegetables. Children were also given trainings on how to welcome guest in the homes, how to serve food and how to put things in order after visitors go back from the home.

Education, Vocational trainings and job readiness: Young adults who finds the regular school curriculum difficult to handle are helped to pursue and complete their 10th and 12th grade at a flexible pace with flexible choice of subjects during their stay in rainbow homes through open schooling. Young adults who do not complete at least 10th or 12th even through open schooling are helped to pursue vocational stream or skill building courses. 17+ age group children are given choices of vocation training or skill based

22 Definition document, Rainbow Homes Futures Program

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training so that they can get confidence in doing something and get interest into the vocational course or identify their own agency or worth.

Exposure trips arranged for the young children to workplaces of existing working children such as, eateries, salon, call centres etc.in order to build on their confidence and motivate them to choose their career goals. Visits to banks, hospitals, police station, courts, newspaper/media offices, small/large private companies and other nongovernment organizations etc. arranged in order to provide exposure on different work environments.

For example, in Kolkata, girls without parents and academically very poor were given course on bakery. In order to promote girls’ baking skills and to help in realizing their worth and agencies, state team in Kolkata started putting orders of baked items during occasions in Loreto Rainbow Homes from the girls working in bakery sections in different food joints. This strategy helped many girls to gain confidence to start living on their own and earn for themselves.

Placement support: On turning 18, Rainbow’s “Future” program helps YAs leaving care to find suitable part-time jobs as well as full time jobs to support themselves and the families. YAs who continue education or vocational courses are encouraged to take up part time jobs for few hours over the weekend or after college hours. In Delhi, young adults reported of working as librarian or tele-callers, electrical fitters whereas in Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bangalore YAs found to be working in hospitality, retail sector, fitness centre and salon.

Apart from support with suitable part time jobs, the state team across cities work towards organize more customized guidance to young adults regarding potential employment opportunities in their fields of education and vocational trainings.

Efforts of the mentors and “Future” focal persons at all states include preparing YAs for job interviews, work on communication skills of the YAs through spoken English courses, accompanying them for the interviews, discussion workplace ethics etc. In Delhi and Kolkata, young adults complained about getting exploited by fake consultancy agencies 30

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that take money from people assuring them jobs.

Hence, utmost care has been taken to teach YAs to recognize the fake job offers and fraud that is perpetrated by collecting money.

Housing arrangements- supports in better management of day-to-day living: It has been argued that safe, affordable, secure, and stable housing options for young care leavers are vital to improving outcomes in other areas relevant to the transition to independence; for example, employment, education, training and positive social relationships (Johnson et al., 2010). Young adults do not always have access to a parental/ family safety net and hence they are at higher risk of homelessness at any point post transition. Lack of affordable housing become the contributing factors for the high risk of homelessness among these young adults. Therefore, the most crucial aspect of “Future” program of Rainbow is planning for young adults’ living arrangement as it affects their safety and wellbeing after they move out of the caring and protected environment of the homes.

Moving out from Rainbow’s care and start living independently is, indeed, a big challenge for young adults turning 18 if the transition is not handled well for them, as it creates anxiety or a sense of abandonment among YAs. Therefore, it’s important to explain to them the rationale for moving beyond protected space, advantages and disadvantages of different living arrangements, while assuring them to support for initial few months linking them with vocational education or job-based trainings and help them arranging part-time jobs.

Choices of living arrangements: Guided but informed decision of Young Adults.

The primary responsibility of Rainbow’s “Future” program is to arrange living spaces for three categories of young adults, such as, for YAs who does not have a family, for YAs who have troubled relationship with family and for YAs whose families are unable to take care of the young adult. Most of the girls across cities mentioned about their fear of staying with families,

despite they have families or relatives because of the factors such as, i) fear of parents putting them into marriage, ii) fear of rejection from parents/relatives for longer stay and iii) fear of being abused while staying with relatives like uncles/cousins. This category of children is also helped in finding separate living spaces.

Young adults are given choices of living in Social Welfare Hostels, Residential facilities of the long-term vocational course institutions, working women hostels, paying guest accommodations and independent group living arrangements in rented houses or apartments. Young adults are given all these options and are encouraged to take a final decision either in consultation with their families/relatives or home and state team. YAs interviewed for this study found to be mostly equipped with information on different living choices. Also, YAs were given exposure visits to social welfare and working women hostels, paying guest accommodations of their seniors to get a firsthand understanding of living experiences in those spaces, since living together in rented apartments/ houses should be the last option as requires young adults to handle more responsibilities and expend more time and effort towards smooth living. Despite such efforts, most of the time, young adults are not able to take decision and depends on state team or home team to choose the correct living options. The

choice between hostels and group living also involves many considerations. Based on the present status of older children turning 18 years, that is, whether they were continuing studies, or were looking for job, the accommodation arrangements were finalised. State and home team try to guide them seeing travel and other convenience of the girls so that they have smooth living after transition.

In all sample cities, it was noticed that if the vocational/ academic institutions where YAs studies have campus accommodation, they prefer to take college accommodation. In the absence of residential facilities in the Institutions, YAs are given choice of Social Welfare (SW) Hostels nearby or with families, wherever applicable. In all the sample cities, the YAs who have families are encouraged to stay with families and continue education after transition. In such cases, Guardian meetings are conducted to check convenience to reach workplace or college from their families. For children who do not have family or any relative or in cases where children do not want to stay with families are given group living and other living spaces, preferably Social Welfare hostels or working women hostels nearby workplace or college/institution.

Most of the YAs across cities who were looking for job apart from studies wanted to have their own freedom and opted for Group Living arrangements whereas another group of YAs who were looking for only higher studies opted for SW hostels.

Group Living, hostels or family: Reasons for choosing different living spaces Girls in group living arrangements preferred living in group than in hostel or families because of many factors Much less expensive than private hostels or working women hostels as the expenditures get shared among the inmates Staying in group is comfortable giving more flexibility and freedom to make YAs’ own systems and practices for daily living.

Less time to concentrate on studies, if with the families but gets better peer support in group living No seat in Social Welfare Hostels or no residential facilities in Institution campus.

Poor quality food and unhygienic atmosphere in SW hostels or KGBVs

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Adjustment issues and chances of frequent conflicts with strangers in Hostels because of different living standards and mind-set of inmates outside Rainbow Staying together in a group teach YAs important life skills such as, money management, cooking, cleaning, budgeting, shopping groceries, paying bills etc. The knowledge of cooking or doing household chores help when they go to their families or relative because they can share works of family members.

Staying together in a group enhance the bond between different roommates as well as it teaches about living in harmony with the society.

Ragging by seniors in campus hostel which was the primary reason for few YAs to leave hostel and join group living Living in group is helpful as responsibilities can be shared and in case someone in the group fall sick, others can compensate the duty as well as take care of the sick inmate.

However, while initial choice for most of the YAs had been group living arrangement due to the sense of independence they would get living without adult protection, many understood the cons of it and started leaving the groups.

“Some of the girls studying in colleges felt that they would not manage study timing and doing household chores, whereas some had conflicts among group members and struggled to live in harmony in the group.

Also, strict rules in hostels give the girls enough time to rest as otherwise, girls stay awake till late night on their mobiles and get less time to sleep. Hence, many girls left the group and opted for Hostels” - Future Coordinator, Bangalore “Some working girls had tendency to not contributing for non-working girls as well as tend to avoid household responsibilities with the excuses that they work hard at their workplaces. These girls left group living to stay independently or in working women hostels”. -Future Coordinator, Delhi

Staff support to young people post transition: Mentoring, Emotional supports Young adults require effective mentoring and emotional supports before transition and after transition from care set-ups. Mentoring cannot be confined to just some structured activities like education or jobs or a fixed timetable or schedule. It’s essentially a relationship and a personal bond, where care and trust underlie all interactions. Without effective mentoring and guidance, anxieties and insecurities can lead to stress and emotional breakdown among YAs.23 While mentoring and guidance are easier to provide during their stay in organizations because of the presence of home teams, volunteers and teachers, such close mentoring gets difficult after they move out of Rainbow homes.

23 Definition document, Rainbow Homes Futures Program

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The future focal persons across study states have been doing their best to guide YAs after their transition through periodic meetings and discussions visiting their living spaces. They are the primary contact persons for any challenges faced by transited YAs in different living spaces. Their roles include, Stay in contact with transited YAs, meeting YAs staying outside and find out the support areas required by YAs in different segments-education, vocational training, job placement based on YAs’ capabilities and aspirations and pass on the information to state future team on regular basis.

Following up the Job placement calls of girls, accompanying them for the interview, find out grievances in the workplaces of YAs. Arranging identity documents for YAs.

Searching for accommodation, checking up conditions of living of YAs in Group Living arrangements, Social Welfare hostels, women working hostels, mess, paying guest accommodations etc.

In Delhi, the Youth Coordinator of Umeed Aman Ghar mentors and supervises the YAs in the boy’s hostel whereas a Youth Mentor guides the girls in their Group Living arrangement. These mentors are not residential to YAs’ living spaces but stay in contact with then in odd hours, as and when required. In the absence of any dedicated mentors in Bangalore and Hyderabad, the future focal persons at state levels keep regular contact with YAs staying in different living arrangements. In Kolkata, Youth Mentor at state level coordinates and follows up with the girls alongside the Future Team of the state.

Individual files of all transited girls of Loreto Rainbow Homes along with home details, bank details, Aadhaar card, youth plan, board exam result, present status of vocational course/ academic course/jobs are being maintained by the Youth Mentor. There are detailed documentations of challenges faced by YAs in different living spaces in terms of health, accommodation, relationships, workplace hazard etc. The challenges are reported to state team for quick redress before it reaches crisis stage, because most of the time, YAs do not approach the state team directly to share their challenges. - Future Manager, Kolkata Financial supports Futures program is responsible for providing financial support for continued education and skill based vocational trainings to all young adults above eighteen years of age who need such assistance, even for those staying with their families too, if their families cannot afford educational or training related costs. Future program of Rainbow envisages to support young adults without families, with a monthly stipend for living

and personal needs for up to six months. Living needs include food and other provisions, rent, and utility and maintenance charges and personal needs include personal sanitary needs, mobile recharge, travel by public transport etc.24 However as per the protocol, young adults staying outside Rainbow need to cover their living expenses by working part time along with studies, since their educational and vocational trainings costs are covered under the program. In the sample of YAs studied, some YAs were already into part-time and full-time jobs whereas some were still into different full time academic and vocational courses, thus unable to take up part time job. Hence, working YAs staying in group living arrangements are responsible in contributing for their own living expenses as well as cover living expenses of non-working YAs till the period the non-working YAs start their jobs.

In all the sample states, working young adults in group living arrangements contribute ranging from Rs 2000 to Rs 4000 per YA per month towards their living expenses including rent, food, utilities etc. YAs in the sample states are supported with stipends ranging between Rs 3500 to Rs 5500 per YA per month for initial six months apart from education expenses, supplies of ration, wherever required and local travel expenses of YAs. In Kolkata, girls in one of the 3 group living arrangements visited were supported with stipend of Rs 3500 per month per girl along with Rs.500 as toiletry allowance for girls without families, which was found at the time of interview. Girls in Social Welfare Hostel in Kolkata were receiving financial support for paying course fee over and above scholarship amount, hostel fees and travel allowances for attending interview since presently they were studying and not into any part-time job.

Follow up and Capacity building on harmonious living in groups In all the state covered under study, the YAs are found to be living in different arrangements, mainly in group living arrangements maintain WhatsApp groups with youth mentor /youth coordinator/ future focal persons

24 ibid

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to continue conversations, preferably on alternate days on requirements, feedback, and complaints on the daily living outside Rainbow. Apart from that, monthly visits to group living arrangements and hostels are done by the future focal persons at state levels in all sample states to understand challenges of YAs and provide possible solutions through group discussions.

For the girls staying in govt or private hostels in Hyderabad, state team calls for periodic meetings, preferably monthly once, to discuss about their hostel living, challenges faced, essential requirements, whereas regular contacts are made as per the need either over phone or WhatsApp messages.

In Bangalore and Kolkata, it was found that girls do not update proactively to mentors and future coordinators unless there is requirement of some essentials or some issue being faced by any of the YAs or any conflict arises among them. Visits to the group living arrangements in every week by Future Coordinator of Bangalore at the initial period of GL commencement was helpful but later girls started updating the Coordinator every alternate date or as and when required either in WhatsApp group or over phone calls about what all are going on in the group or in case anyone in the group face any challenge. In Kolkata, there was very less communication from the part of the girls staying in group living arrangements and many a times the landlord identified their challenges and kept state team updated. For example, one of the girls who used to leave very early in the morning was not eating any breakfast as no one could make breakfast so early. Neither any of the girls noticed this nor the girl herself spoke to state team about her problem.

She gradually developed gastric problem, for not eating anything in the morning for days together. To avoid such issues, frequent follow up calls and visits, preferably 15 days in a month to their living spaces were arranged to understand health related issues, requirements on college fees, project fees, stationary requirements, snacks requirements, family situations etc. A schedule of calls with each group in different living arrangements apart from surprise visits helped to get update on their living on regular basis.

In Delhi, following up the boys and girls living outside 34

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are little easier as the boys stay in the office campus and there is a regular Youth Mentor designated for girls’ group living arrangements who stays with the girls everyday till evening. The Youth Coordinator of Boys’ hostel and Youth Mentor of girls’ group living arrangements pass on the messages related to YA’s livings, requirements of cash to pay college fees, problems faced in sustaining jobs, or conflicts among the girls in the group etc. to the Future Coordinator every 15 days .

Such intense follow up and subsequent meeting or discussion with young adults in different living arrangements give confidence to the young adults that they have a platform where they can bring their issues and concerns and can receive guidance and support to address them. An innovative method adopted in Bangalore to enhance capacity of the young adults living outside rainbow’s care. Counselling sessions arranged with YAs to address challenges faced by them. The state team collaborated with play therapist who organised counselling therapy sessions with the groups of YAs through Art, Music, Play etc. Group living girls’ feedback and challenges of living in GL was collected in those sessions. The girls were given tools to practice calmness whenever they face any challenges in group so that they themselves learn to overcome anger, living harmoniously etc. Similarly in Kolkata, discussion sessions were arranged with the girls who came into conflicts with other girls in working women mess or in group living arrangements. YAs were oriented giving practical examples about how to tackle dominating group leader in outside living arrangements without compromising on right things, so that they can themselves handle conflicts among inmates.

Care Leavers’ Perceptions and challenges of Out-of-Home Care: SPECIAL FOCUS ON EXPERIENCES and Challenges of ‘Housing’ Challenges in finding accommodation Majority of YAs across cities opted for group living arrangements mainly because of the flexibility and

freedom to make their own system of independent living. YAs with guidance and support from home team and future focal persons searched for accommodations as per preferences based on the criteria such as, PP

PP PP

PP

Access to proper water, toilets, electricity connections and cooking space Access to safe transport Convenience to reach work-place or college/ institution Safe neighbourhood and community

YAs across cities mentioned that the real challenge after transition was in getting suitable accommodation.

There are a number of barriers preventing YAs in accessing group living accommodations in private rented buildings as most of the house owners were not willing to rent out to the YAs, particularly to the girls because of their backgrounds or apprehending consequences such as, possibility of too much water consumptions, safety issues, chances of the girls bringing their boyfriends, chances of girls escaping without paying rents etc.

Many YAs had to change accommodation several times to get suitable ones. Either there were issues with water and toilet in the rented living accommodations or issue with safety in the neighbourhoods. Wherever there was adequate water supply or better toilet facility, the rent amount was exorbitantly high and beyond the provisions of Rainbow. In some places rented houses had toilet outside with broken door, despite affordable rents and safe communities. Some of the girls in group living arrangements in Kolkata faced challenge in getting accommodation nearby college as many of the house owners were reluctant to keep girls in their houses.

Advantages and challenges related to staying in different living arrangements A mixed response has been obtained from sample YAs in terms of advantages and disadvantages of different living options. YAs in Bangalore, Hyderabad and Kolkata staying in Hostel accommodations mentioned about advantages in terms of food and responsibilities of maintaining the living spaces are

being taken care by the hostel managements and hence students get sufficient time for study rather than carrying out responsibilities of cooking, cleaning etc. Some YAs mentioned about conducive study atmosphere in hostels that are missing in un-supported group living arrangements, because in hostels, the YAs are motivated towards study by seeing other girls studying regularly.

The girls opined that while doing full time jobs, YAs can switch to any group living arrangements as they do not have to concentrate on education after coming back from work and hence would be possible to take responsibilities of household chores. Apart from that, YAs in hostel living arrangements often feel the challenge that if one of the roommates falls sick there is no one to bring a doctor/ medicine or take care of the sick, whereas in independent living arrangements, other girls do household chores and also take care of the sick girl.

Few girls in hostel accommodations preferred Govt Hostels over private hostels, mainly because in govt hostels the food served is safe and there are spacious rooms with plenty of mattress in big dormitories. For instance, the rice being served in govt hostels are much better than that of private hostels because in order to get extra profit, private hostels mix soda while cooking rice. This makes the cooking faster and saves fuel. Also, it reduces the appetite of boarders, thus saving on quantity of rice.

Control over environment: community supports and safety in living spaces Moving from rainbow homes’ care set-up to a more independent living facility is a big change hence, struggles; safety issues; opposition from communities and adjustment issues in the communities are unavoidable. Despite all efforts of ensuring safety and convenience while choosing accommodations for the young adults keeping their preferences, some of sample young adults mentioned about adjustment issues in their different living spaces. On the contrary some mentioned about comfortable staying in their living spaces and cooperative neighbourhood around.

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Challenges faced in different living arrangements Group Living

Social Welfare Hostels/ Working women hostels



YAs in Bangalore and Kolkata complaint of high elec-  tricity charges by house owners in their group living accommodations. The electric charge also seems to be on a higher side as the YAs most of the time stay out of the apartment and the landlords never show original bills in order to verify the amount charged by the department.

Despite high fee amount and additional amount are being charged in case of late payment there are unhygienic rooms and poor maintenance of premise, especially washrooms. For example, in a private hostel in Hyderabad, for 9 rooms, there are only two common toilets and bathrooms on the terrace, which are difficult for girls to access.



Girls in group living arrangement in Hyderabad men-  tioned about challenges in living harmoniously. Some of the members do not follow daily rosters especially when it comes to cleaning of utensils. Consequently, there have been fights and conflicts within members of group living across all states, for which future focal persons has to intervene. Hence, most of the girls opined that those who find it difficult to manage household works along with studies should not opt for group  living.

Money management is another challenge for the YAs across cities. So, they use to spend all monthly contributions very early and struggle during the rest of the days of month.

Poor quality meals, especially in the government social welfare hostels. Girls across cities mentioned that they miss the frequent servings of food in Rainbow because in SW hostels, food are given only twice. Also, they are not allowed to cook in their rooms. Hence, they have no other options than to withstand on low quality and inadequate meals supplied by the hostel.





In the absence of any adult supervisor or any strict  schedule of sleeping and waking-up time in independent living, YAs end up sleeping late night and waking up late in the morning. Also, without any adult supervisor to control daily activities or scheduled study time, YAs mentioned about lack of motivation to study on regular basis.



Infrastructural difficulties are faced by few YAs in group living arrangements. Girls in Bangalore spoke about struggle to get water despite paying money to house owner for water supply in washrooms. Girls in one group living in Kolkata mentioned about broken windows in their living space and managing with plastic cover/cloth to protect themselves from rain water.

The same girls struggled with the washroom construct-  ed outside the premise posing serious safety concern during night.



YAs mentioned about lack of entertainment options in group living as was the case in Rainbow where they  had peers to talk to or activities to be part with.

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Also, there is strict timing of food distribution in the government hostels. If the girls misses to collect food from kitchen at scheduled time, they lose their share. Girls in Hyderabad mentioned that they have been waking up late during holidays and therefore missed their breakfast for many days. Later, girls started collecting their breakfast and then go back to sleep again.

Mismanagement in govt-run welfare hostel for womenIn the welfare hostel for women in Kolkata, the cook left work and Hostel Management decided to distribute cooking responsibilities to hostel boarders. It was decided that salary amount that was being paid to the cook would be spent on groceries and food items.

But even though Girls started sharing the responsibility of cooking, the food menu did not improve. Girls complained that on most of the days either ladyfinger or any one other vegetable were supplied for cooking, eggs only for 2 days in a week and fish/chicken only once in a month. They opined that not even 25% of the menu prescribed by the Government are provided to the girls.

Disturbances in studies were reported by few girls in private hostels. Mainly where working and non-working girls/women stay together because working roommates play loud music or talk loudly over phone that disturbs the girls who study in the evening.

Rules and restrictions in the hostels regarding back to hostel by 9 pm and informing the warden before going anywhere from hostel and beyond college hours are neither being followed nor any action is being taken by the warden in case of violation of the rule. Also, there is no monitoring of timings in entry and exit registers to check whether girls signed on exit register came back on same day or not.





Non-cooperation of houseowners poses challenges to few YAs staying in group living arrangements.

Although some of the landlords found to be supportive and offered utensils or gas cylinder etc., many were no willing to rent out their apartments to Rainbow girls. Many of them were doubtful that girls may not maintain cleanliness or use bathroom fitting or kitchen shelves properly. In one of the group living in Kolkata, girls mentioned that whenever there is any breakage or leakage in the whole apartment, the landlord start accusing the girls. In some places, landlords were apprehensive whether the girls will be able to continue payment of rent after the end of stipend support from Rainbow. They were also suspicious about the girls’ point of reference, since they were mostly without families or from homeless families. They were scared in case the girls do something wrong and run away, whom they would contact to get hold of them.

Lack of important life skills such as, cooking, budgeting skills, bargaining with shop keepers for vegetables/ groceries at cheaper rates, interpersonal communication skills etc. posed challenge to few YAs while living in group accommodations. Girls in Kolkata, Bangalore mentioned about challenges in cooking in their group living arrangements since this was not taught in Rainbow. There have been incidences across cities of burning foods or burning hands at the time of cooking, whereas few YAs got cooking lessons on their own from YOUTUBE videos. Across cities it was found that in order to avoid cooking girls either ended up eating outside food or stayed hungry, if they could not manage the expenses with contributions. These girls feel hostel living to be better as it does not include sharing of cooking or cleaning responsibilities.



One of the major challenges in Govt hostels is that the inmates have to maintain cleanliness of their respective rooms as sweepers are appointed to clean the hostel premise and not individual rooms.



Girls in Govt hostels mentioned about crowded dormitories/rooms in the hostel. More than 15 girls are being placed in one room increase chances of conflict between girls on petty issues such as, preferences of corners, requirement of fan in night etc



In the govt run social welfare hostel is for distressed girls and women. Rainbow girls mentioned about safety issues during the interview because of little number of residential staff in the hostel. After death of a senior inmate in the hostel few residential staff and most of the inmates left the hostel. Rainbow girls who were interviewed said that, they stayed alone for many days in the hostel as 90% attendance was compulsory for being on scholarships.



Conflict and misunderstanding among inmates are regular phenomenon in hostels as girls / women of different mind-sets stay together. For example, girls in working women hostels who has to go to work early in the morning mentioned about fight with the room-mates since some of them keep the lights switched on until late night. Another major reason of fight is that roommates use fans and lights during the absence of the girls but they do not take responsibilities of changing the bulbs or servicing of fans. However, despite fights on petty issues, the girls try to manage small conflicts by themselves and do not involve Rainbow staff to intervene.



Less facilities reported by girls staying in working women hostel in Kolkata. Rainbow girls kept their luggage under the cot in the absence of any locker or cupboard being provided to them. Also, the hostel lacks mosquito net or repellent and girls could not use their personal repellent because of objections from other inmates.

Very less interaction and support from inmates was faced by most of the hostel living girls who were interviewed.

Girls complained about poor bonding among inmates.

The inmates very often order snacks from outside in front of them and do not share anything with them.



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37

Group living girls in Bangalore and Hyderabad mentioned about having supportive community and neighbours. For example, in Bangalore neighbour offer food and sweets to the girls in case of any occasion in the community. Few boys living in the same apartment help the girls every time in replacing gas cylinder as none of the girls could not do that. Similarly in Hyderabad, girls in group living arrangements and hostels are comfortable with the community in their living space and houseowner/ wardens are supportive as long as the girls adhere to the apartment/hostel rules. The group living girls in Delhi did not face any discriminatory comments from anyone in the neighbourhood despite their background. Girls in two of the group living arrangements, women hostel and social welfare hostel in Kolkata also mentioned about cooperative neighbourhood, houseowners and not much issues being faced other than a few eve teasing incidences on their way to college or workplace. For example, in one group living, houseowner has helped girls showing nearby markets to get things in cheaper rate as well as given them a cot and mattress so that girls do not need to buy. The girls are benefitted from the neighbourhood kirana (grocery) shops also as the shop owners provides provisions on credit, in case they do not have cash in hand. In another group living in Kolkata, girls got help from the community with part time work opportunities as home tutors. The houseowner in the group living stay in contact with state team to inform in case girls face any problem.

The houseowner also scold the group living girls, if they roam around and neglect on studies.

On the contrary, girls in one of the Group Living arrangements mentioned that the community as little notorious since it is Naxalite area and class conflicts are common. There were incidences of bomb throwing between political parties during election time. Girls also complaint about the quarrelsome neighbours fighting with each other for trivial issues in louder noise that disturb the girls while studying.

Social relationships: Adjustment and Behavioral issues Apart from education and career, an aspect that needs special attention is that of relationships, especially 38

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about understanding, developing and sustaining responsible relationships. Learning to be caring, responsible and build bonding among group mates in any group living or hostel arrangement is very essential for our young adults to ensure smooth independent living post transition. Many of the young adults in Rainbow Homes had dysfunctional families and hence have seen troubled relationships. Also being with Rainbow for long period of time limits young adults’ exposure to larger community and sometimes create challenges of learning social skills. The findings of this study show that YAs in different living arrangements struggled at the initial period post transition to maintain relationships with their peers or inmates and sometime their personal romantic relationships.

“It might be our failure in instilling value education that still few of the YAs do not have fraternity and hold mentality of living for their own, not thinking of their peers in group living arrangements” - Future Focal Persons, Rainbow Homes, Delhi, Kolkata

“We make innovative wall hangings and cupboards from waste materials to keep our staff in the wall. Since others are incapable of making such things, they start abusing us saying that we have started thinking the hostel as our own properties.

- Girls in women hostel, Kolkata Most of the adjustment issues faced by the group living girls across cities when all girls were not taking up responsibilities of their shares of work. Girls mentioned about fighting among themselves over trivial issues in terms of sharing responsibilities in their group living spaces. For example, few non-working girls were given the load of household chores as working girls thought that they cannot follow daily rosters, since they stay out for work and get tired after coming back. In all cities, conflicts observed among working and nonworking YAs about contributing financially by working

YAs for their inmates in the group living who are still looking for jobs or studying.

One instance was observed in one of the group-living arrangement in Kolkata where girls divided themselves into two groups in the same living space, cooking for their own groups, dividing utensils, mattresses, rooms etc, and living individually in the group. In another group living arrangement of Kolkata, all girls had fight with a particular girl for being lazy to follow her duty roster, selfishly cooking only for herself and for not mingling with other girls in the group. In another group living in Kolkata, girls used to fight with one of the girls in that group who had a boyfriend. This is because the boyfriend used to get into fight with the girl very often and the other girls got disturbed in study. There was a lot of adjustment issue with that girl as she used to complain to State Future team and never tried to resolve the problems among themselves. In all such instances state team and future focal persons/ mentors had to intervene calling for group discussion with YAs in order to resolve the conflicts. State team helped girls in allotting day-wise duty to each and the girl who has duty in a day would get up early so that all others do not need to get up early.

YAs in Social Welfare Hostels and Women Hostels faced adjustment issues while staying with strangers of different mindset. Girls mentioned that in hostel living, girls are from different places and they have the tendency to live on their own, not being supportive to peers. One of the girls in working women hostels in Kolkata suffered from a severe rat bite at night and none of the roommates even bothered when the girl was in pain. Most of the hostel living girls complained about the Hostel Supervisor not paying attention, if anyone does not follow the duty or maintain cleanliness in the hostel. In one social welfare hostel, the complaint was about abusive languages being used by inmates.

Daily Routines: maintaining rosters Routines are also a vital psycho-social mechanism whereby a sense of trust and a feeling of belonging are nurtured and sustained (Giddens, 1976). The daily routines were not always easy or possible to develop for young adults in out-of-home care. The first learning

of all Young adults of Rainbow after moving to group living arrangement was to make a routine clearly mentioning the duty rosters. Without adult supports in group living arrangements, YAs need to learn how to take care of themselves and if anyone in the group falls sick how to share the sick inmate’s responsibilities in the group.

To avoid conflicts and fights among inmates in group living, as discussed in previous point, duty rosters get rotated every month, based on YAs’ convenience, rather than keeping same duty for all YAs. For example, in Kolkata, daily scheduling of duties as well as timing to adhere to has been planned so that everyone in the group follow the timing and scheduled duties. For example, girls in Kolkata who have to leave very early in the morning are given duties of cleaning but not cooking, whereas the same girls get cooking duty when they have holidays and so on.

Equal responsibilities are given rather than making a group leader to avoid bossing and equal punishment in case of breaking of rules have been imposed. One good practice noticed among group living girls in Kolkata was that from the beginning they set a budget of Rs.100 per day on food and accordingly prepared weekly menu. Shopping of groceries and other are made within the budget so that they do not need to struggle at end of the month, unlike girls in few other groups living across states.

In Delhi, YAs distributed chores among themselves and duty chart is made to display in living place in both the ‘Parwaaz’ hostel for boys and group living arrangements for girls. Cooking made compulsory for all girls in group living and the youth mentor made a cooking schedule dividing duties of cutting, cleaning and cooking. According to the Youth Mentor, such distribution of all works among all girls helped in stronger bonding between inmates.

In Bangalore also duty charts are made by the girls to display in their living spaces with household duties being shared on rotation basis so that each girl gets to share each household chores with others. Cooking rosters are being prepared by the girls in Bangalore themselves along with weekly menu based on which vegetables are of cheaper prices in that week.

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On the contrary in Hyderabad, it was found that sharing of responsibilities have been set up based on capabilities of individuals. Most of the conflicts arisen with the girls who do not want to learn cooking.

Hence, few girls in group living in Hyderabad who knows cooking always take responsibility of cooking whereas others clean the rooms and assist in cooking.

Life skills for independent living: experiences and challenges Rainbow’s “Future” program envisages regular involvement of volunteers from different walks of life to engage with young adults while YAs are still living in the safety of rainbow homes. Volunteer engagements and life skill trainings engaging resource persons from outside are some of such efforts that enable young adults in interacting with people from outside their regular circles. Life skill trainings and interactions with young adults on different social responsibilities help YAs develop their independent living skills and attitudes of taking responsibility, being organized, delivering or completing tasks, being accountable etc. that become handy after YAs start working part-time jobs along with studies post transition from Rainbow.

Important independent living skills include, groceries and other essentials, cooking and maintaining a kitchen, budgeting and managing finances and supplies, managing time between studying and other tasks, managing emergencies and illnesses of themselves and inmates in their living spaces after they move out of Rainbow Homes.

Good practices by Rainbow to develop independent living skills of YAs Girls in Sonarpur (one of the group living arrangements in Kolkata) were so much interested to live in a group that they prepared themselves with mock practice of grocery shopping, bargaining with vegetable sellers, and bringing groceries and essentials by hiring a Tempo etc. on their own. They also made chart on the duty roster and budgeted daily expense not to exceed Rs.100 per day well ahead of their move to the group living.

- State Future Manager, Kolkata

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In Hyderabad, a 15 –day transition summer camp was organized putting girls of different age groups from different homes within Rainbow Home set ups where they had shared responsibilities of cooking, cleaning, preparing smaller girls for schools, grooming smaller girls etc. Such transition camp helped them understand how to mingle with girls of different mind-sets, what are the practical difficulties in staying with each other and how to resolve conflicts by themselves without any adult support or any intervention from state office/home team. There were incidences of one girl got missing one day where all girls had struggled to find the girl and bring her back. Similar initiative can be helpful for girls to learn important life skills from practical experiences.

- State Program Manager, Hyderabad Difference between staying in care of Rainbow and staying outside independently is that most of the above-mentioned tasks are either handled by home staff themselves or supervised by home staff in cases some responsibilities are assigned to young adults.

Whereas post transition young adults are supposed to take all decisions and responsibilities of outside living.

There are good practices across cities by Rainbow Homes to help young adults experience independent living and develop important life skills while they are in care of Rainbow, such as, allowing young adults to purchase their own groceries, budgeting of daily expenses, making independent living arrangements within homes etc. However, despite efforts of building independent living skills, the study shows some struggles that are still being faced by the young adults across cities in their independent living spaces. Some of the problems during initial period post transition are: Difficulty in finding places for interview/college or entrance examination centre as the girls were not at all familiar with Roads in Kolkata Fear in riding bus or metro alone and cross the roads.

Difficulty in depositing and withdrawing money in bank account.

No exposure of cooking while staying in Rainbow homes. Therefore, girls faced challenges in cooking food and survived on packaged and easy to cook foods.

Challenge in money management from YAs’ own contributions and financial supports from Rainbow. Many YAs mentioned about spending money lavishly in the beginning of the month and struggling at the end of the month.

Challenge in taking all decisions by themselves without adult supports, guidance and advice.

Challenge in time management to do household chores apart from studying.

Chances of getting exploited financially by the job consulting firms. Many of the girls across cities reported paying money to consulting firms but got target based sales jobs.

Not able to mingle with the community and hence have poor networks in job market.

Perceptions and challenges of the staff Keep motivation up for retaining jobs: One of the major challenges faced by the staff across cities have been keeping the motivation of YAs in retaining part time or full-time jobs. Young adults are choosy about jobs despite not being capable of anything better they are placed into. Despite too much of efforts in placing YAs into jobs after series of negotiations with companies, arranging skill-based training at concession rates, YAs do not value the efforts and are not able to retain their jobs. Despite trainings on work ethics as part of Rainbow’s ‘Future’ program, many YAs take impulsive decision of leaving jobs and not ready to compromise even for a few days to learn and gain experience at workplace. Some young adults have serious medical conditions and health issues for whom sustaining stressful job or work demanding long working hours seems problematic. Future program support for such YAs’ basic living expenses and medical expenses till they find suitable job after completion of studies. For example, one of the girls in group living arrangement in Delhi had to leave job due to her throat problem whereas another group living girl

in Hyderabad mentioned about losing part time job as the company closed down. However, some of the YAs leave their jobs for trivial reasons such as petty conflicts with line managers, extra working hours etc.

Tendency to hide problems among young adults in Group Living: Despite future team’s efforts in maintaining regular contact with young adults in different living arrangements to know their health conditions, emotional wellbeing, regular happenings in their lives and guiding them to manage their day-today affairs or supporting in any kind of contingencies and emergencies, young adults tend to hide their problems from staff. Staff across cities mentioned that most of the time, YAs in different living arrangements do not inform about the challenge they face in their community or living spaces. Young adults, mostly, in group living arrangements have tendency to hide their problems such as health issues, conflicts among inmates or problems faced in communities because they opt for group living on their own preference despite alternative choices being given for social welfare hostels or other living options. For example, in one of the group living arrangement in Kolkata, neighbourhood faced conflicts between two political parties and incidences of bomb throwing happened during election time. Girls got terrified due to the political violence but did not inform Youth Mentor or state future team at that point. Similarly, in another group living arrangements, one girl was suffering from poor appetite and did not menstruate since long time but none of the girls in the group informed state team or the mentor even during the routine follow up. Most of the time, YAs across cities do not proactively share the problems being faced in group living and issues are identified only from surprise visits in their living arrangements. On the contrary, YAs in hostels keep regular contact with mentor or future focal persons in case any small problem they face which is quite positive as state team can have close monitoring on them.

Challenge to keep contact in regular intervals: Due to the distance of different group living spaces, team visits the living arrangements on weekly basis.

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ensured fortnightly follow up with all YAs at different living spaces over message or phone calls, all staff agreed of communication gaps since YAs do not proactively share their challenges on regular intervals.

In cities like Bangalore and Hyderabad, girls in hostel accommodations come up with complaints regarding hostel management or living issues or the day-to-day requirements weekly once over phone. In all cities it was noticed that girls come to state office individually as and when required to discuss their needs or challenges faced. However, one of the challenging tasks for the future focal persons across all states have been to arrange monthly or quarterly meeting with all YAs in different living spaces to get the concerns and complaints on their independent living since preferences and conveniences of YAs never match. This indeed led to communication gaps in certain instances.

Dropping out from hostels without information: There are incidences of young adults dropping off from Social Welfare Hostels to stay with their families without informing properly to the future focal persons. YAs with education scholarships wasted their scholarships despite series of orientation before placing them in hostels to know their preferences in continuing education. Few of such girls had gone to the families and got married with their own consent.

Neither they bothered to inform future focal persons nor other girls in the hostel or warden informed the state team.

Handling behavioral issues in group living spaces: Another challenge is to handle lack of discipline among some of the YAs in group living arrangements. For example, girls in group living in Delhi stopped cooking in the group or obeying daily rosters or sometimes were coming very late in night. Those problem were solved with repeated visits and sitting in their living arrangement to understand their problems. Future team at state level had to intervene and tell the YAs that with such indiscipline in the group, Rainbow would not support them in any way. In Kolkata, despite repeatedly speaking about different options for breakfast and easy methods of cooking nutritional breakfast or lunch, girls found to be either skipping breakfast or surviving on tea biscuit/ outside food in

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college or workplace. Such issues do not come to the notice of mentor or future focal person despite follow up since girls never count on such mistakes and share with staff.

Apart from that, conflicts among YAs in group living arrangements over silly things are common across all cities. Since girls always do not proactively share the challenges and problems in group livings arrangements, future focal persons across cities get information from houseowner of the houses and possible solutions are provided arranging group discussion with girls. For example, in one of the group livings in a sample city, houseowner frequently complaint to state team about few girls for wasting water or not obeying rules set by the houseowner. Sometimes, because of the mischief of few girls in group living, conflicts arise in the whole group and without interventions of staff, the conflicts get even worst.

Reluctance of working YAs in contributing for nonworking peers- This has been a challenge for future focal persons across all sample cities with YAs in group living. Most of the working YAs are not ready to contribute for their non-working peers in group living spaces. Working young adults get carried away with the material things of their affluent peers in colleges or workplaces and start spending much money on things like mobile phone, clothes etc. Working YAs often deny to contribute financially for non-working girls in GL so that they can spend their earned money for themselves only and hence conflicts in the group living starts. In Delhi, many of the working girls who were initially placed in group living arrangements left the group and started staying independently or in working women hostel to avoid financial contribution for non-working peers. In Kolkata, to avoid conflicts on financial contributions, girls who are studying are encouraged for taking academic tuition classes and dance classes to get their pocket money or contribute towards the rent and other living costs.

Suggestions from Staff of Rainbow Capacity building requirement of Transited YAs: Based on the challenges faced in preparing transited YAs, state team require need-based capacity building of YAs who are into different living arrangements.

For example, monitoring of weight, of YAs, nutrition, hygiene related capacity building required for the YAs. Because in GL arrangements, it has been noticed that girls compromise on food when either not having time to prepare food, or because of laziness, which reduces their weight and cause nutrition deficiency impacting overall health. In Kolkata, workshop on proper Nutrition requirements for YAs, easy cooking methods of different nutritious food etc. have been demonstrated to YAs. Practical module of mock group living before transition from care: State future team mentioned that there should be a practical module as part of transition preparedness where children from the age of 16+ can learn different life skills staying in a mock GL arrangement. Following the independent living module, children can be placed into an accommodation without any adult being in the group, where children by themselves would have to prepare and execute duty rosters, share responsibilities of living including cooking, cleaning, financial management, shopping, banking etc. The part of transition plan may include preparing girls with these life skills including cooking because most of the girls shared their struggle in making food in GL arrangement which was the reason girls in most of GL arrangement compromise with their food intake on time. Other life skills that girls lack are crossing the road, shop vegetables, bargain with the shopkeeper, operating bank account, riding bus alone etc.

Supported group living arrangements, especially for girls: To ensure safety of girls and to address any issue that may arise at night, there should be one mentor, who should stay with the girls. From the point of views of children, they on the one hand enjoy independence but sometime, face challenges in terms of health issue, running out of cash in hand, need of groceries. In such situations, some of the girls felt the need of a mentor to guide and help them at the time of crisis in independent livings.

Expectations of YA’s outside Rainbow’s care Convince families of YAs to allow them continue studies: Despite the fact that before choosing academic/vocational courses post transition from Rainbow, young adults are encouraged by Rainbow to evaluate different options available to them in consultation with families along with future focal persons, objections come from few of the families after young adults are placed into certain career options. Objections of families are inevitable from conservative Muslim families and some of the girls face a lot of opposition with regard to types of job and travelling requirements for the sake of work. For examples, girls in Media Science studies in Kolkata mentioned about their interests in film making and involving in TV media which might require travel to different places. Such YAs expect that Rainbow will help to convince their families so that they can achieve their aspirations in life.

Involve transited YAs in Rainbow Alumni Groups: The YAs into jobs expect to be involved in rainbow home’s cultural activities as most of them get bored at hostels after work hours and during holidays due to lack of entertaining activities to spend leisure hours. Most of the working YAs across cities complained about lack of entertainment options in independent living such as TV, internet connectivity or libraries in the independent living. In the absence of entertainment activities in living spaces, most of

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the YAs stay glued to mobile phone until late night that adversely affect their health. The YAs suggested formation of Alumni Forum with YAs staying outside rainbow’s care and reunion arrangement with the YAs in the forum every year in Rainbow Homes to interact with younger children in Rainbow Homes and teach them dancing, yoga etc. which would in turn entertain YAs. Such platform will not only entertain YAs but also help in sharing their experiences of independent living with the younger children.

Trainings and capacity building to crack interviews and cope with workplace stress: During transition and post transition periods, there can be extensive trainings on developing resilience, concentrate on roles, delivering tasks, being accountable and coping with stress at the workplace. Some of the young adults mentioned about quitting jobs for not being able to handle extra workload or being involved in conflicts with line managers. Similarly, some of the YAs who faced difficulty in facing interviews expected detailed orientation for the interview process in terms of answering interview questions apart from Rainbow’s regular effort in improving YAs’ communication skills while they are still in the Rainbow Homes.

Support to access identity and entitlement documents: Identity and entitlement documents such as birth certificates, adhaar card, caste certificates, domicile certificates are important to access government’s provisions like scholarships, as well as various public and private services. However, most of the young adults interviewed for the study mentioned about lacking entitlement documents, mainly the access to birth certificates and caste certificates. Access to these certificates require application in different offices or institutions along with set of supporting documents but young adults do not have relevant information to access to these documents. The YAs mentioned about their expectation from Rainbow to support with relevant information about how to apply for each entitlement, what set of supportive documents are required, where to apply each entitlement, what are the application and follow up processes etc.

Support in arranging part time jobs: YAs across cities mentioned about their struggle to arrange part time job alongside studying and hence expect Rainbow to facilitate in findings suitable part-time job opportunities to cover their living expenses. Since many of the YAs reported about being cheated by job consulting firms with fake job offers and ended up paying money to the fraudulent firms, they expect Rainbow’s guidance in developing contacts with enterprises in different fields and get suitable jobs.

Job based specialized courses: Some of the working YAs expressed their expectations on Rainbow in arranging advanced vocational courses related to their work. For example, girls working in salons in one of the sample cities wanted to learn bridal make up for which make up kits to be purchased with support from Rainbow. Few girls mentioned about their aspiration to join aviation or hospitality sector and expected support from Rainbow in arranging short term course on these fields.

Enhance life skills for independent living: YAs across cities lack important life skills and attitudes necessary for independent living. Hence, post transition from Rainbow the YAs need skills such as, bargaining and purchasing essentials, organized life, cooking and maintaining kitchen, budgeting and managing finances etc. As some of the life skills such as cooking, budgeting and managing finances are not part of transition teaching in Rainbow, most of the YAs in group living arrangements complaint about struggling with making food or manage their monthly expenses at the initial time post their transition. In many instances, YAs stayed hungry for not being able to cook or struggled with no cash in hands at the end of the month for inappropriately spending money in the beginning of the month.

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CHAPTER

4

Good Practice Models Supporting Transition from Care

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W

hile adolescence is a time of independence and exploration, family relationships remain vital to young people during this time (Daniel, Wassell, & Gillligan, 2004). Care leavers who do not have families or parental supports need special provisions, opportunities, supports and guidance for better coping after leaving care organizations. This is particularly pertinent for children from traumatized background, disturbed or broken families, unstable living conditions and children with development delays or mental health issues. Studies suggest that flexible, gradual and well-planned transition for care leads to better outcome and coping after leaving care.25 This includes individual transition planning based on the

young person’s needs, flexible post-care options and ongoing support until young people reach 25 years of age.26 Significant literature on different housing assistance to care leavers suggest to provide supports children until they are 25 years of age, placing them in different living options, since many care leavers may not be developmentally or emotionally ready to live independently after 18 years. This includes placing care leavers in existing after care housing, private housing with housing allowances or in supported living units. Globally there are few good practice models that provide post care supports particularly, the safe and secure housing assistance.

Alternative living arrangements: Some global practices The St Luke’s Leaving Care and After Care Support Service in the rural Victorian town of Bendigo is a holistic community model that adopts a “corporate parenting strengths-based” approach that assumes responsibility for providing ongoing nurturing and support for young people in leaving care beyond 18 years. In conjunction with community organizations, it provides a comprehensive aftercare service that includes case management, mentoring, employment and training assistance programs, material assistance, housing assistance and supported transitional housing. A study involving 40 young people who had participated in this model showed improvements in the areas of housing, education and training, financial management and living skills. Further, following participation in the St Luke’s program, some participants reported reduced anxiety/ depression/ anger and a reduction in drug and alcohol use.

The ‘Berry Street Stand By Me Program’ was developed following a scoping study in 2011 that identified the need for ongoing provision of support and services for young people leaving care with complex needs such as mental health issues, disabilities, and those engaging in high risk behaviours. The ‘Stand by Me Program’ focuses on early intervention and continuity of care via intensive case management. Program support workers establish strengths-based relationships with young people aged 16+ identified to be most at risk of “homelessness and other negative outcomes” and provide continuity of support following exit from OOHC. Evaluation found that the ‘Stand by Me’ Program provided some positive benefits to participants although this study involved only a small number of participants. Some of the positive outcomes associated with participation in the program included: program workers developed a greater ability to build trust with young people, which subsequently allowed them to offer more timely support that resulted in positive outcomes for the young people. young people’s participation in transition planning increased.

25 Mendes et al., 2011b 26 Supporting young people leaving out of home care; https://aifs.gov.au/cfca/sites/default/files/publication-documents/leaving-care.pdf

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better interagency collaboration was observed, which enabled program workers to facilitate young people’s relationships with other support services (e.g., health, disability, housing, employment). short and medium housing needs for young people improved. young people could address past trauma and access specialist mental health support services. some young people were able to establish meaningful connections with their families.

The MacKillop Cluster Housing Model developed by MacKillop Family Services in Victoria in Australia is a model of supported living options that supports care leavers by providing semi-independent living set ups. The MacKillop cluster housing consists of a small number of homes on a single site with various levels of on- and off-site supports depending on each young person’s needs. It also allows young people with higher needs to live with a lead tenant on a cluster site. The lead tenant helps young people develop the skills necessary for independent living.

(Source: Supporting young people leaving out-of-home care; CFCA PAPER NO. 41 2016; Monica Campo and Joanne )Commerford; Web: https://aifs.gov.au/cfca/sites/default/files/publication-documents/leaving-care.pdf

Documentation of emerging and promising Aftercare interventions by sample organizations: Special Focus on Housing An attempt has been made in this study to identify practices of Aftercare in few selected organizations across four sample cities, especially focusing on the housing arrangements offered to the care leavers from those organizations. The sample organizations based in Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Delhi have been working with children in need of care and protection, mainly children from destitute families, children in street and other crisis situations.

The information is based on the interaction with representatives of the sample organizations, the documents shared by the sample organizations as well as the information received from the official website of each organization. The information sought from sample organizations was mostly on experiences and challenges in aftercare practices including supports to care leavers in terms of housing, education, vocational trainings, family strengthening, capacity building for better living outside care etc.

(i) Sos Children Village: Bangalore About the organization: SOS program As an independent non-governmental development organization, SOS children’s village works for the welfare of children in need of care and protection assigned by CWC, mainly the street children, parentless children, single parent children, mentally challenged children, abandoned children etc. In India, the organisation caters to over 25,000 children and there are 32 SOS Children’s Villages in 22 states in India.27 Aligned to the UNCRC the organization has two flagship programmes, namely the Family Like Care and the Family Strengthening Programme.

SOS model of family like childcare runs in phases such as, i) Family Based Care for girls till 18 years and boys till 12 years, ii) Youth Care for boys of 13-18 years of age where the boys are shifted from FBC of SOS villages. Under FBC, children of different age groups live together (in clusters) as brothers and sisters with a mother. Every cluster live in its own house and is given a middle-class family budget to meet

27 https://www.soschildrensvillages.in/

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Factors behind the success of Family Based Care model - Three months of structured training in National Training Centre of SOS to each SOS mother help them to understand different challenges they may face in staying with so many children as families. The trainings also help the Mothers to be empathetic to the children which is important to keep up strong bonding with children.

- Incidences of small conflicts arises especially dealing behavioural issues of older children.

However, strong emotional bonding among mothers and children helps the Mothers to cope with such challenge.

- Every mother and staff are adhered to the non negotiables regarding child protection policy to ensure safety and protection of children in the villages.

- Continuous support to the Families by Director and co-workers, not in a way of monitoring but in supportive manners

its household needs and requirements. What sets it apart is that it offers an environment akin to that of a regular family the emotional ties built on between children under the care of SOS and their SOS mother last a lifetime. There are 15 – 16 families under FBC are there in Bangalore SOS with on an average 8-10 children in each family along with a SOS mother. The role of Mothers in the lives of children in SOS villages are same as a Mother in family set ups, such as bring up and guiding the children as they were their own, whereas children grow and learn together, sharing responsibilities and all the joys and sorrows of daily life. While girls continue to stay in FBC under care of SOS Mothers, boys from 13-year age onwards get shifted to Youth Care Facilities under the guidance of Youth Care Worker.

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Strengthening alternative care for YA staying with families through support to parents and extended family SOS shares its core learnings with the outside world through its Family Strengthening Program (FSP).

Family Strengthening Programme (FSP) is conducted in slums in the vicinity of the villages through Self Help Groups (SHGs) and designed by SOS to prevent abandonment of children by families belonging to the most vulnerable sections of society. The organization helps the families build their capacities so that children are well cared for and families stay together.

Two-pronged approach under FSP is to; i.) provide essential services to children, such as education and nutrition, and ii) empower women with the capacity to protect and care for their children and become selfreliant.

The FSP in Bengaluru has also worked widely towards sensitizing families that fall under its care. Various personality development workshops and programmes are organized by SOS India in collaboration with Swasti NGO, Child Rights Trust, NIMHANS, INSA India, BOSCO NGO and SWASTI in order to strengthen the capacity of such families. Regular seminars and awareness programmes are organized wherein children and their parents are educated about key social issues like HIV/AIDS, adolescence, and its changes etc.

Working with care leavers- After care supports PP

Transition Preparedness- Support on education and vocational trainings

Children in Family Based Care (FBC), on attaining 14 years of age, starts learning household chores, bargaining of vegetables etc. along with mothers because the organization believe that children need to be taught life skills from very early ages so that on attaining maturity and after transition, they do not face many problems while staying independently. Sharing responsibilities with SOS Mothers help instilling value of living as families among children. Apart from that, trainings given to children about spending of money and there are strict monitoring and follow ups during

their stay in FBC or Youth Facilities on how they spend money.

Apart from life skills, the organization put efforts in identifying the capabilities and IQ levels of children apart from looking for different career options. At class 8, IQ tests are conducted for all children to know their information on different career options.

Individual preferences and capabilities of children are taken care and according to children interests they are placed into vocational trainings from age 16 through different networks.

SOS believes that only linking to vocational trainings will not work and YAs are to be given at least one relevant employability skill to continue employment.

Professional courses help enhancing employability skills and vocational courses alone cannot do that.

If while studying, some YAs want to go for on job trainings, SOS encourage that supporting the training cost as that would increase their capabilities. Mock interview session starts from second year or final year of graduation program or vocational courses of YAs to prepare them for job interviews. Spoken English, stitching skills and computer skills are being taught and project specific interventions of skill enhancement and employability skills taken up with YAs based on the types of jobs they would be placed in.

PP

Living arrangements

While boys above 18 years of age groups are placed in guided Youth Home facilities and receive academic or vocational skill trainings, career guidance, personality development guidance by SOS, girls above 18 years are placed in different Paying Guest accommodations in groups. The team shared that girls are not placed in hostel on attaining 18 years of age because it is problematic to follow up the girls individually. Instead, it is easier to follow them up when they stay in groups and the groups are smaller. After the young adults starts earning, they are placed in the community with more independence to take their own decisions and lead independent lives.

Young adults, since early ages learn important life skills - social, emotional and educational before they

move out from SOS which prepare them towards smooth settlement outside care set up.

“No clear aftercare rules have been set up by the Govt because Govt only talks about vocational trainings and job placements but do not provide clear guidelines on accommodation arrangements for YAs who do not have families to be reintegrated to”.

- Team at SOS Children Village, Bangalore PP

Post after-care follow up and support to young care leavers at different accommodation

SOS offers pocket money, stay expenses, education fees, books and stationaries (on producing bills of books) and travel allowances based on actual amount to all YAs after transiting from FBC or youth facilities.

As shared by the SOS team, a Three-year financial support program is offered by the organization for YAs placed in different jobs till the age of 23-25 years based on how much time YAs take to get settled in job. The YA can choose to take the financial support or reject it based on the income in their employment.

Pocket money of Rs.2500 is being offered by SOS to each YA in job in the first year of getting employment, which gets reduced to Rs.1500 in second year and further reduced to Rs.1000 in the third year.

Apart from financial supports there are regular monitoring in YAs’ living spaces on their independent living. Case workers/ Co-workers are the contact point and they continuous in touch with YAs and report to the Director in cases of problems faced by boys or girls in their living arrangements. They are responsible to help the girls/ boys to manage conflicts among young adults in different living spaces.

Challenges faced by the organizations SOS is careful in making the groups to place in different accommodation outside care set up because, if one girl/ boy creates problem in the group, the whole group suffers. Hence, very small groups (2-3) children in different PG or Hostel are being created. However, despite life skill teaching since early ages and follow

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up in living spaces, some of the YAs were not ready to manage the tenancy, especially regarding paying bills and financial planning whereas some faced loneliness and isolation.

Aspirations among YAs to get into expensive courses is another challenge for the organization to arrange funds. For example, Aviation courses are much more expensive and even though many of the YAs prefer for the course, SOS struggle to afford the cost of placing them into aviation course. Despite struggle, 9 boys and 6 girls in Bangalore have been placed into Air Hostess training courses through MOU with Air India.

(ii) Don Bosco: Kolkata, Hyderabad and Bangalore (iii) Don Bosco: Navajeevan, Hyderabad (iv) Bangalore Oniyavara Seva Coota (Bosco), Bangalore About the Organization The Don Bosco Network offers a gamut of services through prevention, intervention and rehabilitation to the children and youth who are at high risk of losing their required care and protection. The Young at Risk (YaR) find themselves on the severe end of the vulnerability spectrum. This population includes children from slums and on the street; children with disabilities; children from oppressed castes; children with HIV-AIDS, amongst others. They routinely face abuse, violence and exploitation which makes them susceptible to substance abuse as a means of escape.

The lack of a social security net allows every crisis or shock to impact them with disabling outcomes.

There are 72 YaR centers across India operating rescue booths in railway stations, bus stands and other locations where such children congregate, whereas the night shelters, drop-in centers and shelter homes offer temporary care and protection for them. Over the years the organization rescued 173,134* missing children; repatriated 64,928* missing children; provided long term institutional care to 44,659 children and empowered 50,000 children through rights-based education programmes.28 28 http://www.dbnjhyd.org/ 29 http://www.dbashalayam.org/

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The sample organization- Don Bosco Ashayalam of Howrah district of West Bengal provides assistance to all children in need, regardless of religion, caste, or gender. Ashayalam counts 20 Children’s Homes and 2 Night Shelters in four districts of Bengal with over 500 children residing and benefitting from educational, vocational, and recreational opportunities. Ashayalam in Howrah district has 5 centres for boys and girls in 5-20 years age group, such as, i) Mayeer Asha for girls in 5-18 years age group; ii) Asha Anand I for boys in 12-18 years age group; iii) Asha Mayuk for boys in 14-18 years age group; iv) Asha Anand 2 for male young adults in 18–20-year age group and v) Mayeer Asha for girls and female YAs in 12-20 years age group. The NGO also expanded its action in the slums and railway stations through 4 programs focusing on street presence, education, medical care and counselling. Don Bosco, Kolkata, has helped over 80,000 children over three decades.29 The story of Don Bosco Navajeevan Bala Bhavan, Secunderabad, began very early after the second provincial chapter of the St. Joseph’s province of Hyderabad in 1996, brought forth deliberations to launch new ventures for the welfare of street children in Hyderabad, it being the capital city of Andhra Pradesh (now in Telangana State), and then in Vishakhapatnam, a city in Andhra Pradesh. The Don Bosco, Hyderabad taken for this study has 4 centres in Hyderabad, such as, I) centre for rehabilitation of children including children needing vocational courses, ii) centre for primary school going age group of 6 to 11 years, iii) centre for shifting children who completes primary schooling; iv) centre for girls who are school going or working or into vocational training courses.

Apart from that outreach program is run by 16 centres in slums of Hyderabad, such as, 5 centres for child labour and 11 for very vulnerable communities, so as to prevent the children in the slums from becoming street children. Children selected for outreach interventions have the families and the education and awareness interventions administered with them, while keeping them in the families. Don Bosco Navajeevan in Hyderabad, since the beginning, contacted 29,737 children in distress; registered 12,959 children in

shelter; home integrated 6,697 children; rehabilitated 3,145 children.30 As part of street outreach program, over twelve years, the field workers of Don Bosco Hyderabad have contacted around 22,196 street children and child labourers at the railway platforms and bus stations surrounding Hyderabad.31 Bangalore Oniyavara Seva Coota (BOSCO), more commonly known as BOSCO is a project of the Salesians of Don BOSCO (SDB) that offers services since the last thirty years to the Young at Risk like - children living on the streets, child labourers, abandoned / orphaned children, victims of drug abuse, victims of child abuse, begging children, rag pickers etc. BOSCO has spread its wings across the city of Bangalore through 7 rehabilitation centres & 6 street presence locations.

Strengthening care for children through vocational and professional trainings Recognizing that learning comes in many different forms, children in Don Bosco Networks are offered professional trainings along with educational interventions since early ages to enhance their concentrations, focus and strengthen their selfconfidence and self-esteem. For example, Don Bosco Ashayalam implemented ‘Asha Dan Farm’ with street children who are unable or unwilling to enter formal education or the other Street Children Vocational Training Centre options. Also, the distressed teenagers under long term institutional care of Don Bosco learn to work in the farm apart from continuing education from Tutors. The fish, chicken, milk and dairy products produced in the farm are consumed locally by the children and supplied to nearby Ashayalam homes whereas, produced fruits and vegetables are supplied to all Don Bosco homes in West Bengal. Apart from that, Trainings for children between 14-18 years of age in children’s homes is imparted on Bakery, tailoring, handicrafts, book binding. Based on the interest of children they are placed into these types of trainings.

Children prepares exercise books, folders, school uniforms, medical envelop etc that are used mainly in Ashalayam’s homes whereas the handicrafts prepared

by the children are sold at the Ashashop, the retailer store in Kolkata.

Don Bosco in Hyderabad offers vocational courses on tailoring and computer courses like DTP in the campus. Apart from that, courses such as hospitality management, electrical fitting courses, welding, bakery, book binding, printing press operations etc are outsourced to the vocational training centres run by different partner organizations, Yashoda foundation or Bosco Seva Kendra to name a few.

Both boys and girls above 16 years of age are given professional trainings on tailoring and embroideries through different organizations, apart from regular non formal or formal education.

After care programs PP

Transition preparedness and job placements

Don Bosco in both the sample cities mentioned that transition preparedness is started with all children from 14 years’ age group with life skill trainings as well as vocational and professional trainings through Don Bosco’s Vocational Training Centres inside their campuses. Children are financially compensated for preparing craft materials and other products. The amount received from selling these products get deposited to children’s individual saving account, ensuring they are financially secure when they leave the NGO. In Kolkata, on attaining maturity, 18+ age group boys are given choices for ITI courses, electronic courses, carpentry, hairstyling etc. in the campus of Ashayalam.

In bakery section, bread and buns are prepared by children that are supplied in different places. On the other hand, girls attaining maturity in Ashanibas- the destitute children and teenagers’ home for girls run by Don Bosco in Kolkata learn tailoring and beautician courses in girls’ campus. Such trainings help girls and young destitute women to develop employable skills and gain financial independence to support themselves and their families. These young women also grow in confidence and self-esteem as they become

30 http://www.dbnjhyd.org/childrentada.php 31 http://www.dbnjhyd.org/services.php

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skilled in this creative trade. Placement department in Don Bosco Ashayalam shoulders responsibilities to find jobs for YAs after completion of their studies or professional/ vocational trainings. Don Bosco’s placement cell directly contact different companies interested to absorb children from Don Bosco.

Workshops conducted to show different career options with different companies. As per interest of the YAs, they are linked to different apprenticeship program against monthly stipend. After the Apprenticeship trainings YAs need to go through vigorous selection process. Placement cells are monitoring the skills and capabilities of YAs so that they do not face challenges in appearing before job selection processes.

On the other hand, Don Bosco Navajeevan, Hyderabad encourage YAs to complete at least 10th class along with imparting different vocational trainings. At the time of stay with Don Bosco, YAs over 16 years get freedom to choose professional trainings on eight trades available in Don Bosco campus. To enhance their money management skill, every YA is given very small amount of pocket money of Rs. 75 every month and get trained on how to use their pocket money.

As part of providing life skill training, YAs above 16 years of age are often sent out to learn practical life skill such as, booking train tickets, operate bank account, etc. YAs above 16 years are allowed to use mobile phones which some of them buy from their saved pocket money. Don Bosco Hyderabad offers career guidance and job placement through the career guidance cell that helps the street and working children to be empowered, to make informed and reasoned decisions, to acquire a career and hence resulting in better economic conditions. The transition preparation includes, providing individual guidance to YAs to choose proper career according to their Most of the YAs into jobs do not have value of money and hence organization keep their ATM cards for initial few months so that YAs do not spend their income on entertainments, mobile, outside food etc.

Team of Don Bosco, Hyderabad

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interest, aptitude, personality, and intelligence; teach and train job seekers on basic English-Speaking Skills; arrange job orientation programs to motivate YAs, approach to different companies for job placements and conduct campus interviews for the YAs. Apart from choosing jobs according to YAs’ capabilities, Don Bosco Hyderabad guide and encourage them to take up self-employment schemes after finishing formal or non-formal educations. Don Bosco Hyderabad makes sure that bank accounts for all YAs are open long before their transition from the organization.

Transition preparedness in BOSCO, Bangalore do not have exact boundary of 16 years, rather vocational trainings start from 14 years of age to the children to help them lead a better and more responsible life.

In Vatsalya Bhavan, girls, who has resistance towards formal education are placed into bridge courses along with professional trainings because the organization believes that without basic education, professional trainings may not yield good employments for them.

On the other hand, academically sound YAs are supported by BOSCO for their higher studies. Career guidance is given to the YAs where the team interacts with them and according to their interests and capabilities and YAs are placed in different types of course or academic career. The vocational training includes welding, carpentry, two-wheeler mechanism, computer training, tailoring etc. BOSCO supports the children who cannot go back to their family by giving the skills training till age of 19-20 years. After completing the vocational training, the organization place YAs in jobs settings linking them to companies in relevant fields according to their qualification, that help them to construct their future, by making them to find out their bread from their sweat.

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Living arrangements of care leavers

On attaining maturity, Don Bosco Ashayalam, Howrah place YAs (boys) into the two After Care Homes established and managed by Don Bosco.

These aftercare homes are constructed with financial contribution of BOSCO alumni who are now well settled in their lives. One of the aftercare homes has 25-30 YAs staying together along with a care supervisor, whereas another After Care Home has only 7-8 boys

and the boys are managing the home by themselves without any Supervisor. In the guided after care home, the YAs are part of decision making under guidance from the Supervisors whereas in unguided set up, the boys share household chores among themselves beside managing their apprenticeship trainings and part time jobs.

In Don Bosco Navajeevan, Hyderabad, YAs on attaining 18 years of age group children are placed into Aftercare Centre run by Don Bosco at Bhoiguda of Hyderabad. After 18, the organization also encourage YAs to form a group or 3 or 4 to rent a house outside and start group living with guidance and strict monitoring from Don Bosco team on how they are managing alone, at least for initial 3 months.

In certain instances, where YAs struggles to manage living together properly, they are encouraged to come back to Don Bosco’s after care center. At the time of interview 40 such male YAs were present in after care home whereas 4 male YAs into jobs were staying in Group Living arrangement in Hyderabad.

BOSCO Yuva Kenrda, serves the youth, who require support to secure employment, apprenticeship or acquire a vocational skill leading to job placement in Bangalore counts 25-30 male YAs of 18+ age group whereas Vatsalya Bhavan, that caters girl children at Bangalore count 5-6 female YAs present at the time of interview. After the YAs settle in their jobs, they are motivated to live on their own outside BOSCO. The job placed boys are assisted in procuring private rented rooms outside BOSCO’s residential facility. Around 3-4 boys stay together in a rented room as a family under supervision of BOSCO staff and pay the rent jointly. On the other hand, after placing girls into jobs, BOSCO provide accommodation in their shelter even after attaining maturities so that girls get a good amount of saving under control of BOSCO. After 6-8 months they are placed outside BOSCO’s shelter such as, paying guest accommodations or group living arrangements and their savings get handed over to them. In this process, young girls learn to control their expenses and save more.

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Post-care follow-up and supports in different living spaces

In Don Bosco Ashayam, Howrah, the YAs who stay in the After Care Facility run by Don Bosco, get supports from the Group Leaders (senior boys) as well as Supervisors allotted to each After Care Centre to resolve the problems they face in their daily lives.

The YAs in aftercare facilities get a fixed travel allowance as all boys are working or studying outside, all other expenses such as food, lodging etc. are covered by the organization. The team in Don Bosco, Howrah mentioned about handholding supports to YAs on attaining maturity for minimum of 2 years in general and 4-5 years in specific cases, if required.

All aftercare homes have timetable where YAs participates in decision making on daily time table and food menu as well as share household chores with the help of senior boys in the group. The Supervisors are the contact points in each After Care Facilities in Ashayalam who generally stay along with the YAs in the centres and bring grievance incidences in the notice of the Director for possible solutions.

In Don Bosco Navajeevan, Hyderabad, YAs of 18 years age group are being supported by the organization till they settle or reach the age of 25, whichever is earlier. The organization makes sure to keep connection with YAs who do not stay in Don Bosco’s after care centre but in different living arrangements outside the campus because even though the YAs start earning and living on their own, they need emotional support due to their distressed pasts. More than 80 percent YA above 18 years are in regular contact with Don Bosco. Other supports extended to the YAs living outside Bosco campus are.

- Supporting with pocket money, rice, and other monthly provisions of groceries for initial few months, whereas utility expenses such as rent, electricity, water are contributed from their salaries.

- Guiding on how to manage group living for initial 3 month.

- Supporting with health and medical needs of YAs

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above 18 years in different living arrangements - Encouraging them to apply online in various government services – especially in police department in different categories.

- Supporting YAs for better management of their income in different living spaces as there have been incidences of mismanagement of income such as, buying phones, lending money to friends, wasting money for unnecessary things.

- Grievance redressal committee to solve conflicts among YAs in different living spaces.

BOSCO Bangalore mentioned about the After Care Coordinators who are the direct contact points for YAs in different living arrangements. The Director of BOSCO are in close contact with the YAs even after the boys move from BOSCO and live independently to provide emotional guidance to them as and when required. In cases of conflicts or mental well-being issues among the group mates, BOSCO’s full time counsellor and volunteers are engaged to have interactions with the YAs in their living spaces to provide solutions to the problems.

Bottlenecks encountered by organizations with care leavers in different living spaces Despite the team in Don Bosco, Kolkata mentioned about their children understanding value of money, the team in Hyderabad contradicted complaining about few YAs lack skill to save their income. The main challenge faced by Don Bosco in Hyderabad with YAs in different living spaces has been to control misuse of few YAs’ income on expensive mobile phones or

lending their hard-earned money to people who never pay back the money.

Several trainings on financial management arranged from corporates such as, Genpact, Deloitte. However, most of the time YAs are not attentive to such trainings and forget whatever the things they learn in those trainings and continue spending money needlessly.

There is a need for frequent trainings, at least once in a month for the YAs even though it stands difficult for any organization to arrange trainings with big corporates frequently.

Another challenge and major reasons of conflicts among YAs in living arrangements is that some YAs are not maintaining personal hygiene which some other YAs in the group oppose. Lack of bonding among group mates is another issue in any group living accommodations that staff struggle to tackle. Issues such as, anxiety, mood swing, isolation, loneliness, suicide attempts etc are common among YAs leaving outside Don Bosco and sometime staff struggles to address the issues for not having professional counsellors as it is difficult for the organization to afford cost of their services.

Accessing entitlement documents especially birth and caste certificates which are important documents for YAs leaving care to get benefits in different field of job or higher education. Don Bosco, Hyderabad mentioned about absolutely no help from Government in getting legal identity documents. In order to access Birth Certificates for YAs, the organization paid Rs.5000 per YA to brokers as they could not access the certificates from the government system. Furnishing a letter from organization stating about the children’s orphan status and their duration of stay with Don Bosco enabled them

Good practices by Don Bosco across cities One of the best practices of Don Bosco across the country has been integrating vocational and professional trainings as part of care standards that not only helps young people learning marketable skills and earn money for the future but also to focus, develop a strong work ethic, set and meet achievable goals, and to strengthen self-esteem.

Child participation and decision of children are given priorities. Based on children’s decision, they are placed into either academic courses or professional courses. All supports are provided but the final decisions are taken by children.

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Since Don Bosco’s vocational training is complemented with formal education, the practice helps young people to succeed in school as well as in their chosen trades. This helps them learn to take responsibility for their life decisions and empower young people to take control of their lives.

After YAs are placed into Apprenticeship programs with different companies, Don Bosco approaches the companies to allow the boys have practical work experiences in those companies for few days along with trainings. In this process, YAs get to know about the jobs so that after completion of trainings they get absorbed easily into those companies.

Peer to peer mentor and leadership strengthened the cause of the Province in the empowerment of the Young at Risk.

As part of the outreach program Don Bosco across cities contacted and counselled street children and child labourer in and around bus station or railway stations which have got highest level of these children. The outreach workers/street educators and peer workers (former street children under care of Don Bosco) be in the railway platforms and bus stations to talk to the Railway children, providing them with advice and support. To rescue the groups of children at risk, the outreach workers build good rapport with railway porters, sweepers, auto rikshaw unions, railway employees such as TTEs, RPFs etc. which promotes awareness to help transform the lives of these vulnerable young people.

Efforts are made to get sponsorships for YAs choosing expensive professional courses, if children show interest and the placement cell feel that children who are showing interest can excel in those courses and get good jobs. For example, most of the children in Don Bosco, Kolkata are successfully placed in famous hotels after completing courses on hotel management.

To keep the motivation of children in retaining job is to prioritize their interest on where they want to settle themselves. Also, vocational trainings teach them to focus, develop strong work ethics, know value for money. With proper training in a particular field, they become more mature and less impulsive.

In certain instances, YAs are unable to continue with present jobs for various reasons ranging from aspiration for better career opportunities to feeling of being undervalues. However, the YAs themselves understand that they must find alternative jobs before resigning to the present job.

to get the certificates within a week which took months together to access through the system.

(v) Baale Mane Trust, Bangalore About the organization The organization, Baale Mane Trust in Bangalore works towards empowerment of disadvantaged girls from rural communities surrounding the city of Bangalore, who need care and protection and belong to comparatively lower level of economic background, broken home or dysfunctional families, or children having traumatic pasts. Girls are given long term residential care including formal education, life skills trainings, job readiness sessions, sports, creative

expression classes and vocational trainings until each girl can live a self-sustaining adult life. As the girls prepare to leave the Baale Mane home for courses or jobs in the city which help them to build a career and become self-sufficient adults. Long term career counselling is provided from the age of 14 years to identify who can be placed in academic courses and who required vocational trainings.

Girls are encouraged to undergo some form of further training after completing school to increase their selfreliance and career opportunities. Baale Mane get in touch with companies such as, ICICI, TATA, Taj Hotel Group, Aptech Software through the organization’s trusties who connect our girls to those companies for courses in considerably less fees. If girls want to go

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for higher education, the organization support them with course fees. If any girl does not wish to continue her education and would instead like to apply for jobs after 10th grade, they are given first job support as those who graduate vocational/college courses.

After care program Guidance and support are provided to the older girls under care of Baale Mane, Bangalore to ease the transition of the YAs when leaving the home to move into the city for college or work. Growing up in a place of nurture, care, and stability after facing many difficulties in their early lives, these YAs as they approach age 18, may face difficulties to manage alone and cope up with challenges of outside world, along with uncertainty about leaving the organization.

Therefore, the organization plans for transition program and independence program for each care leavers for their smooth integration in outside world.

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Transition Preparedness and Independence support

Once the girls in Baale Mane reach 11th grade, they participate in the Transition Plan alongside their regular Care Plan. This aims to equip the girls with the skills to manage life outside of Baale Mane once they leave and move onto their independent phase of life. The transition plans consist of different activities and workshops to enhance practical life skills of the girls. This includes practical sessions on budgeting, grocery shopping, equipping them with emergency response information as well as exposing them into train, bus, metro rides and showing them different accommodation options after transition. For example, a workshop on finances and budgeting are held at Baale Mane to help the girls understand about managing their finances, including their allowances, rent and future taxes once employed. Similarly, taking girls to grocery shops and market to purchase required things for the children home make them understand the costs of items and how to negotiate with shopkeepers.

Transition plans in Baale Mane also include providing options for higher educations and career guidance, where individual sessions are held with each transition girl in every 6 months to have discussion about further 56

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education and careers options. Providing different careers possibilities through career fair and exposure to speak with professionals in different career fields help YAs to choose relevant career according to their capabilities. Apart from providing career options, efforts are made throughout the transition period to enhance girls’ various important job readiness soft skills including leadership, teamwork, and communication. Workshops conducted for girls to meet potential employers, discuss work ethics, discuss rights and responsibilities to maintain in workplaces and encourage girls to fight for their rights and equality in their workplaces and future careers. To give girls an insight into the realities of the job and what skills they need to succeed, short work experience placements are also planned by Baale Mane during girl’s school/ college holidays.

Child participation methods such as, mentoring from team leaders (older girls) in the homes and solving challenges faced by younger girls etc. are used to instil value education, adjustment capabilities of YAs, as part of the life skill enhancement program during their stay in Baale Mane’s care. Transited girls are encouraged to become role models to the younger girls under Baale’s care, and participate in sessions with the younger girls, sharing their experiences and guiding those who are going through the Transition Plan. In transition program, the organization also includes some aspects like cooking, managing budget and finances because it has been experienced that YAs after moving from home into outer world face many challenges living alone and managing their income and expenses properly.

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Living arrangements and independence supports for care leavers

Once the girls make the move after the end of 12th grade, the organization begin the Independence Plan, which monitors their progress as they start to live in the city and builds on their learnings from practical independent living. The Independence Plan allows the young women to manage and take responsibility for their own lives and plan for their future. Each new independent girl is assigned an older mentor who has

been living in the city for a while to handhold newly independent girl for the first few months to ensure the younger girl is settling in their living spaces.

On attaining maturity, girls are supported and guided by the Baale staff to apply for internships, meet with different placement contacts in their chosen career paths. The girls are also assisted in applying for the jobs, writing applications and CVs. Many of the permanent jobs found for the Baale girls are through contacts of the staff or from the networks of trustees with organisations in the city. Sometimes girls themselves get job after completing the courses. For example, ICICI train the girls into office-based courses and after completion of trainings after 10th standard they can be absorbed in ICICI. Conducting life skill programs for girls on regular basis help them to get confidence in clearing job interviews.

Most of the girls after 18 years of age have been placed into paying guest accommodations, close to the organization with financial supports to all girls on accommodation costs, travel expenses, necessities, etc.

At the time of interview, Baale Mane was supporting about 20 YAs above 18 years. Few girls who passed long back are in contact who are invited in every alumni program. Supports extended to the transited girls are: Baale supports their higher education/vocational training and living expenses and extends this support into their first year of work. Baale staffthe care workers remain in contact with the girls’ colleges and keep track of their grades and performance. If any issues comes up then support plans to address the issues are initiated.

Once the transited girls complete their vocational or college course (or if they decided to go straight into a job without embarking upon/completing a course), Baale supports with PG housing or similar accommodation fees up to a maximum cost of 6000 per month, for at least 6 months or until YAs get their jobs, allowing them to focus solely on their studies or jobs. Apart from that, girls are supported in first 6 months post transition with pocket money of 1200 rupees a month, fees for

Baale Mane completely stops supporting transited girls financially, on dropping out of at least 2 vocational/ college courses or quitting at least 2 jobs of due to extremely negative or unprofessional behaviour of girls in workplaces.

Team, Baale Mane job readiness courses and English courses, travel expenses of 500 per month, healthcare costs etc.

If a girl is not getting a job within those 6 months after completing their course, Baale provides living and housing supports for another 6 months to find a suitable job. If a job is found, financial support is given for first 6 months into their first job so that they can manage to save some of their income and after first 6 months of job, girls are encouraged to live on their own independently with emotional supports from the organization.

The YAs are encouraged to come to staff in case of difficulties, to solve problems on their own and come up with effective solutions. Care workers of the organization are divided based on age group they are responsible for. One of the care workers act as point of contact for the girls above 18 and is responsible for addressing issues and challenges faced by the girls in their respective living arrangements. Weekly meeting of transited girls to maintain regular contact and one-on-one meeting as and when required are organised to help the transited girls in different living arrangements, getting solutions for any issue or concern they face. Regular trips back to Baale Mane by transited girls and Alumni Program are arranged by Baale to help transited YAs remain connected to the organization.

Challenges faced by the organizations with care leavers in different living spaces.

The major challenge faced by the organization is that sometimes girls take the support as granted. At times girls’ loose interest on the career path they choose and then drop out from the vocational/ professional courses despite investment of substantial resources on Different Shared Living Arrangements for Care Leavers

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them. They might not like the course or face difficulty to cope up with the chosen course. In case when a girl decides to leave a course or training programme and wishes to apply for another, Baale support them to switch to different course but the girls are allowed a maximum of one course change. At the same time girls face adjustment issues in workplaces which lead to quitting jobs. There are instances where few girls dropped off from different jobs and got married, which was beyond the control of the organization.

(vi) Mahima India, Kolkata About the organization Mahima India supports Mahima Homes in providing specialized care and rehabilitation to minor victims of sex trafficking and youth formerly in sex trade or victims of sexual abuse as well as other children in need of care and protection, referred by Child Welfare Committee (CWC), police to ensure their successful reintegration into society.

Mahima India runs three shelter homes, such as, i) Umang – the girls home for 12-18), ii) Ummeed – the girls home for 6-18 years, iii) Mahima Premanand Boys’ Home for 6-18 years age group. Apart from long term care homes, Mahima runs a drop-in center named Ashaloy for children and women in Kolkata’s biggest Red-Light Area. It is an oasis of hope for the commercial sex workers and their minor children in the heart of Kolkata’s largest red-light district, Sonagachi in Kolkata. Children at the Ashaloy center receive educational opportunities and holistic care while women receive encouragement and proper guidance on learning to start alternative employment toward embracing a new way of life. Group counselling for the community’s women is conducted once a week by a staff member from the Mahima Home. Additionally, these women also participate in awareness program organized once a month by Mahima to educate and equip them with basic knowledge of substituting their existing profession and to sensitize them about women’s rights.

32 https://www.mahimaindia.net/program.php?program_id=2

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The organization aims to create awareness and assist in the prevention of sex trafficking and child sexual abuse in the urban and rural pockets of West Bengal to keep the children safe in source areas and also to bring about change in the people’s attitude and mindset.32 Activities in Mahima Homes include enrolling children in formal school to help them continue with their education under special guidance, provide medical facilities, provide psychological therapy and ccounselling, legal aid, provide music therapy though dance, piano and ukulele, provide vocational training, job placements, etc. focusing on adult independent leaving. In Premanand Boys’ Home, the minor boys are also given football coaching and piano classes apart from the above activities.

After Care Program PP

Transition preparedness and independence support

Transition plan for each child under the care of Mahima India starts from the age of 14 preparing them to live better lives after moving from the organization. There is resistance from few children when they must be on their own because many of them are scared to go out of the organization’s care due to their traumatic pasts and absence of families or safe places to live outside the organization. Regular interaction, motivation and giving them variety of career opportunities since 14 years of age help them understand that they cannot stay under Mahima’s care for indefinite period of time. However, since number of girls and boys are also very less, getting 7 – 8 types of jobs in a year through different contacts and networks of the organization does not post much challenge.

As part of the transition plans, YAs are assured that Mahima would support them till receiving a suitable job. Mahima thinks education is a non-negotiable component of shelter home irrespective of their age and background. Hence, apart from formal or nonformal education, children in girls are given vocational trainings on tailoring, computer, spoken English and beautician courses partnering with other NGOs and other training institutes. YAs get stipend while trainings

from their training Institutions. In both Umang and Umeed, girls are given training on household chores including cooking from the age of 14, so that by the time they are ready for transition at age of 18, they get all their life-skills. Most of the YAs after 14 years of age get knowledge of crafting, cooking so that after transition they do not face much difficulty on being on their own.

If YAs have families, they are restored to families with continued emotional supports and guidance of Mahima staff whereas YAs without families or relatives are placed in After Care facilities till 25 years of age. Staff decide on the job placements through their network with organizations and institutions. Sometimes, girls and boys by themselves arrange some jobs and staff responsibility includes checking whether work environment would be suitable for the children or whether they can sustain those jobs or not.

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Living arrangements on attaining maturity

Mahima Udaan is the adult transition homes for girls of 18 years and above, licensed as After Care Unit under ICPS to provide specialized care to minor and major survivors graduating from minor program, as well as other girls and boys who have experienced extreme forms of trauma due to sexual abuse.

Children from Mahima shelter homes are transited to this adult transition home and women from outside also are taken in the adult transition home. At the time of interview, 20-25 YAs above 18 years of age group are supported in the Adult Transition Home by Mahima. Apart from that Group Homes started by Mahima for youngsters of more than 21 years age group with contribution of rent from the organization.

If YAs of more than 18 years wants to go for independent living, staff show all the living arrangement available for them, such as hostel, government’s working women hostel. Some YAs themselves search for their living arrangements and staff enquire about the places to check safety and securities. Continued support on temporary leaving arrangement provided to the YAs living in hostel arrangements during holidays in hostels or closure of working women hostel etc. Alumni of

Mahima can stay for 7-15 days in the home during their holidays, if hostels are closed.

Mahima India is in the process of arranging accommodation of the girls after reaching 25 years of age in Ahona Group Home in partnership with Khushi Design, a social enterprise which is helping in training young women formerly in sex trades. In this Group Home, one of the staff of the social enterprise will live with the YAs as a support in their living, so that girls are not left alone on their own. As per the plan, YAs will contribute Rs.1000 per YA whereas dry groceries will be provided by Mahima. Another option for girls more than 25 years is the Destiny Reflection Group Home, Alphanso Bhavan where YAs can stay by paying money.

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Post care supports to YAs in different living spaces

Transited YAs in different living spaces are given technical support, emotional supports, documentation support to apply for scholarships, professional courses, or jobs. The care staff also follows up of the YAs in their living spaces on how they are functioning in daily lives. The YAs who are into professional courses and part time jobs are guided to get full time jobs linking them into different companies.

Transited YAs are supported with Boarding and lodging in Mahima Udaan After Care centre till they get jobs. At the time of stay in Udaan, one side Travel allowance is given to each YA from the organization alongside other financial support for groceries, entertainment etc. but expenses on fancy things such as, clothes, cosmetics etc. are to be made by the girls from contribution of their own. YAs receiving jobs are encouraged to save money for 7-8 months staying in after care unit and then move for independent leaving of their choices of accommodation. Mahima does not provide financial assistance to transited YAs after they reach 25 years, rather gives them choices to stay with own contributions from their income in the two Group Homes, as mentioned above.

Challenges faced by the organization Major challenge faced by the organization is the limited number of girls under Mahima’s care possessing Different Shared Living Arrangements for Care Leavers

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matching capabilities for decent jobs. The background of the girls sometime poses challenges in putting them in certain companies because of the social taboos and stigma that surround sex and sex work in the country.

Even if the girls are placed into different companies, they are subject to increased vulnerability to violence and abuse in their workplaces than women who are not trafficked. Because when the supervisors or male colleagues get to know about the background of these girls, they tend to take advantage making them vulnerable to sexual abuse and harassments.

Another challenge is the health condition of few girls. This is despite the organization putting best efforts in providing support to improve physical and psychological health of victims and advocating on behalf of victims to help improve their social environments. For example, one of the girls have long term illness of Schizophrenia due to which she has erratic behaviors. Hence, placing these girls in jobs and other living arrangements like hostels becomes a challenge for the staff.

(vii) Udayan Care, New Delhi About the organization Udayan Care is committed to ensure sustainable and holistic development for children and youth, by upholding their rights and looking after their wellbeing. The organization aims to prepare children for life, staying by their side as they grow through the different phases of life—childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Starting with the establishment of just one small family home (Ghar) for orphaned and abandoned children in Sant Nagar, Delhi in 1996, Udayan Care has spread its work for disadvantaged groups during the last 25 years by establishing more family homes, helping girls’ education, providing vocational training etc. To date, Udayan Care has nurtured over 25,000 young minds.33

A close-knit group of around 12 children of the ages 6 to 18 live as a unit in these group homes called Udayan Ghar under committed team of caregivers consisting of ‘Mentor Parents’ that are lifetime volunteers, professional social workers and other child or mental health care professionals. There are 220 children currently being supported by Udayan in 17 Udayan Ghars (residential homes) spread across four states in India with core concept of ‘L.I.F.E.’, (Living in Family Environment) to nurture Out-of-Home Care (O.H.C.) children including once parentless, abandoned or abused children in need of protection. Apart from that, as on 1st April 2017, the two Aftercare facilities under Udayan are preparing 26 youth for their reintegration into society (22 girls and 4 boys). The organization has re-united 300 children with their families in the last three years.

The pillars of the Udayan Model include Familial Relationship, Consistent Living Circumstances, Social/ Educational Support System/Care Planning, Regular Training & Mentoring of Care Team, and Monthly Capacity Building Workshops.34 Children in the Udayan Ghars stay under the care of Mentor Parents (MPs) who serve as life-time volunteers for the organizations and share good bonding with children in order to develop sense of security among children.

Based on age and background conditions, children are prepared for age-appropriate grade. Mentor parents are not necessarily the older people because if the mentors are young, the YAs can connect better and they are the frontline contacts. Mentor father and mentor mother in all 17 Udayan Ghars are with the same role of running the families as in case of normal households. Their role ranges from buying groceries to school / college admission of the children, cooking for the children.

All Udayan Ghars are established in middle class localities so that children can be integrated with the neighbourhood and can go to local schools in the community. Another core area of Udayan is

33 https://udayancare.org/ 34 Modi, K., Nayar-Akhtar, M., Ariely, S., & Gupta, D. (2016). Addressing Challenges of Transition from Children’s Home to Independence: Udayan Care’s Udayan Ghars (Sunshine Children’s Homes) & Aftercare Programme. Web: https://www.celcis.org/files/7014/6054/8505/010._2016_ Vol_15_1_Modi_Addressing_Challenges.pdf

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organizing series of workshops and trainings for staff at all levels on trauma and abuse issues so as to help the children manage in a trauma-informed, sensitive, and appropriate manner. Apart from that, monthly family meetings with children’s participations in Udayan Homes help teach children decision making and leadership skills and give them a sense of bonding within their homes.

After Care Program Udayan Care has extended its support to children exiting out of the Udayan Care homes (Udayan Ghars), through two Aftercare facilities as well as scattered site support that provide secure accommodation, mentorship, counselling, career guidance, educational and vocational support, and help with internships and employment. The aftercare program helps the YAs to attain both skills and confidence on the way to their rehabilitation into society.

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During their stay in Udayan Ghars, the organization places utmost focus in enhancing abilities of the children to manage their own health, finances, housing and life opportunities in order to ensure a smooth transition out of care. Transition plan are started by the organization Good Practice by Udayan Care An MOU with matured YAs being prepared

by Udayan Care to get undertakings on their responsibilities to respect Udayan’s efforts on independence supports for them. YAs must not assume that Udayan Care will support YAs for the endless period, and it is the YAs’ responsibility to take things seriously, perform good in education and professional courses that Udayan put them or maintain work ethics in jobs. Sometimes YAs take everything for granted and stop going to work or college thinking that the organization will feed them endlessly. Such MOU with 18+ age group changes attitude of the YAs and motivate them to be serious with their activities and help them settle well in life in less time.

once a child reaches 15 years of age by designing child participatory rehabilitation plans, assessing the attitude of children, conducting workshops with children with resource persons from different walks of lives and internal staff to prepare the children for transition. A body of 35 mentors and social mobilisers who have more experience of the system and a subcommittee are set up to prepare Individual Care Plan of each child, assessing the capabilities and interests of children, in order to help them match their skills with relevant career opportunities.

In many cases children are clear about their aspirations and capabilities. But most of the YAs need help to identify their own agencies and social mobilisers and mentor’s role is to interact with the children to let them understand their agencies and what are the available courses or job-related skillsets they need to acquire.

Life skill learnings are done through workshops to understand how they can manage living with each other and managing household chores and studies/works at the same time. It has been noticed that children post their transition from Udayan’s care are able to manage travelling by metros, managing household chores on their own, because of such workshops. Before a child is ready to leave institutional care on attaining the age of 18 years, efforts are made to establish community connections prior to discharge from care, whether for housing, jobs, or other engagements.

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Udayan Care’s After Care Program bridges the gap for young adults of the ages 18 to 21 that are just leaving their Udayan Ghars, by providing continued rehabilitative services combined with community, group or scattered housing. Apart from board and lodging, the Aftercare Programme covers other expenses ranging from cost of commuting and clothing to medical facilities. YAs grow stable roots through jobs, learn to save money, acquire the skills to sustain themselves without state support and finally move out to live on their own as self-assured adults.

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placing them into the families, and supporting the children in terms of education, college fees or fees for vocational courses. YAs who do not have families to be reintegrated on attaining maturity or in cases YAs do not want to be with their families, the organization provides them with different living arrangement options at free of costs such as; i) group or scattered site housing and ii) after care transitional homes, iii) social welfare hostels or hostels of their colleges/ institutions, mess or women welfare hostels iv) group living in rented accommodations. Long term volunteers are in contact with YAs who are in Udayan’s after care home or living independently outside.

Post care supports to YAs in different living spaces On attaining maturity, the YAs are not fully equipped to handle life by themselves and need continued education, training, counselling, mentoring and support beyond 18 years of age. The aftercare programme of Udayan Care, therefore, focuses on capacity building geared towards independent living and career opportunities. The organization ease the stress of finances through monetary support, which gives these youth the freedom to pursue their professional or vocational education according to their interests and aptitude. The programme necessitates that these youngsters make appropriate career choices that enable them to earn a decent living for themselves after they leave Aftercare.35 The Mentor parents who are the long-term volunteers and the Social Mobilisers are the frontline contacts who keep regular contact with children from 18 years to 34 years age group irrespective of their living places in cluster housing or after care homes of Udayan or outside in hostels, group living and mess etc. After care program coordinator are also in contact with YAs on regular basis. There are three phases of supervising YAs in 18+ age group to be followed by the Mentors, such as, high touch model (children of 18-20), medium touch model (20+) and

low touch model (23+). However, some YAs learn very quickly, and mentor need to assess which model to be followed to supervise YAs. One mentor is in touch with at least 13 YAs to deal with what the issues are and how that can be addressed with collective decision from the organization.

Grievance Committee: The mentor parents and after care program coordinators take the issues and challenges, if any, among the transited YAs in different living spaces and if the issues are to be taken to the committee or higher authority, the problems are taken to the grievance redress committee. Two members at HR level look after the grievances in aftercare program level. The team shared that tough talk happens with the YAs to make them understand their responsibilities to perform well in academic so that they can settle well.

Financial supports: For YAs of 21+ age group and YAs who chose to stay out in Group living, hostel etc, Udayan Care supports with fees for vocational trainings, and one-time financial grant to each YA to set up the living arrangement. YAs of 18-21 years age group have option to stay in Udayan’s After Care Transition Homes, if they do not have any job or do not want to opt for group living arrangements or hostel arrangements. In the After Care Transition Homes, YAs get all facilities like lodging, boarding and study/ course expenses. YAs who get a job, they are given one month time with financial support so that they look for alternative accommodations and after they get some accommodation, financial supports are withdrawn.

Girls who are not interested for further studies after 18 years but want to take up jobs, are allowed to move out and became the alumni of the organization. For example, one girl in Udayan Ghar got job at the age of 18 years after 12th class and then she arranged for herself an accommodation outside. Some other girls of 18+ age group into long term courses such as fashion designing, or 3-years graduation courses are staying in After Care Transition Homes. These

35 https://www.udayancare.org/after-care/udayan-ghars-aftercare-programme

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children will move out to alternative accommodations of their choice, after they completes these courses.

Some girls are studying through Open University who are supported with course fees in their places of stay, whereas other expenses they are managing with part time jobs.

Challenges faced by the organization The first and foremost challenge with the organization is to convince the government for more after care homes for 18+ YAs, despite so many of them get transited from CCIs across the country requiring living supports and independence supports. Huge administrative cost is another challenge in CCIs in few states For example, due to the pressure from the department on all CCIs across the country to put cameras, storage of camera recording back-ups for 36 months, the CCIs need to spend a lot of money raised for children to cover such administrative costs. It’s not easy to convince the donors to get digital infrastructure because all are interested to put their money on child-care only.

It is obvious that after 18 years YAs would look for some independence and there would be chances of misusing independence and falling into trouble. The team in Udayan opined that lot of mental stress faced by the care staff to manage YAs in after care facilities.

Challenges are to manage with indiscipline among YAs in after care transition homes, wastage of food as everyone having their own choices, tendency to move out without informing, staying out until late night, to mention a few. Hence, as part of mental health training, Udayan care staff go through the sessions about levels of mentoring, particularly to handle YAs reaching mature age group. Mentors need to understand different methods of tackling behavioural issues of this age group as the methods used in home level for smaller age group is completely different and the way smaller children are tackled cannot be applied to 18+ age group children.

The organization, alike many other CCIs faces financial constraints with some YAs preferring for expensive

courses for which arranging fund get very difficult even though mentors identify that those set of children have capabilities of excelling in those expensive courses.

(viii) Salaam Baalak Trust, New Delhi About the organization Salaam Balak Trust (SBT) provides a sensitive and caring environment for street and working children, and those in difficult circumstances. It seeks to provide a platform for children to realize their full potential, their right to a safe and secure space, education, and health and nutrition.36 In 1988, it was estimated that 10 percent of the 50 crore children were from street and an award winning film by Mira Niar ‘Salaam Bombay’, revealed the dark underbelly of Mumbai’s streets, raising question that if out of these children, 5 percent also becomes terrorist, what will happen to the country. Recognizing so much of things missing from the lives of these children - food, security, health, education and love, Salaam Balaak Trust got registered in 1988 with 25 street children only.

Coverages in SBT 1,08,014 total beneficiaries since inception 29,323 children provided shelter.

Almost 22,220 YAs after 21 years restored to families in last 5 years against 45000 children enrolled.

4,272 children placed to vocational training till March 2019.

1,349 YAs into full time job placement since 10 years.

13,169 children are into formal schooling Data source: https://www.salaambaalaktrust.com Today, the organization has 3 ChildLine (one railway and two district sub centre), 10 day-care centres (contact points for newly rescued children through

36 https://www.salaambaalaktrust.com/our-mission-statement.php

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railway child line) and 7 children homes (3 open shelter with 35-40 children for short stay and 4 homes for long term stay of street children- 2 for boys and 2 for girls).

Compliant with guidelines of Integrated Child Protection Scheme and Juvenile Justice Act 2015, the organization provide safe child friendly shelter in children homes and open shelters for children rescued from street situations and any other distress situations.

The key services in the 10 Contact Points include reaching out to children in difficult circumstance, tracking and counselling missing children to return to the families, providing open schooling/formal education and basic necessities like nutrition, clothing etc. Childline Salaam Baalak Trust synchronises its work with District Labour Department, Indian Railways, Child Welfare Committee, National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, Police, local Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) working on children’s issues, and other programs of the organization. Girl’s homes count 90 children each whereas Boys homes count 150 children each.

City walk program is an innovative English guided tour

by Salaam Balaak Trust for corporates and foreign volunteers and donors, guided by young boys and girls (16+ children) of the organization where the children share their own stories while taking the volunteers and donor on city tour around Delhi. The program started by SBT to enhance children’s communication skills, confidence, and knowledge. The program aims to show glimpse of the street life, the hardships, and the struggle that children on the street go through.

The children also share how they overcome those challenges and succeeded in life.

Volunteer involvement: Volunteers come from 60 countries and based on their interests; they take different programs with home children.

Mental Health program of Salaam Balaak Trust is headed by a Psychologist and 8-10 counsellors that helps to build rapport with children and address emotional and psychological difficulties faced by the children in the organization’s care. In cases of serious issues such as the effects of trauma or depression, 64

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specialised therapies are employed to help children deal with these problems. Some of the therapies used by the MHP include cognitive behaviour therapy, artbased therapy, play therapy and group therapy. The counsellors play varied roles - a close confidante with whom the children share their most intimate thoughts, a sounding board with which the children can release all their frustration and anger, a friend with whom they share their jokes, stories, joys and dreams.

Performing arts and Annual Theatre: Through the experience of performing arts, SBT has successfully instilled the sense of self-confidence and dignity, which is otherwise a miss in the lives of these children.

Believing in the latent talent of every child, performing arts are used as the springboard to enable the journey of reflection, expression, and empowerment. Children are involved into role play and performance in theatre with series of rehearsals and preparation.

Community reach: As part of community outreach program, the organization is providing mass benefits to the communities to support them with adhaar card, school admission, Anganwadi admission, accessing scholarship etc.

Mobile School program by Salaam Balaak Trust in collaboration with Children Hope is another community outreach program that covers children in the urban slum through the activities including nonformal education, creative arts, counselling on health, hygiene, social skills, and child rights. At the end of each session, supplementary nutrition is provided, and a first aid service is made available.

Restoration is another important focused initiative by the organization. As soon as a child’s family is traced, adequate steps are taken in close coordination with CWC to send the child back to the family. Over the years, the centre staff members have restored children to far-flung areas of the country and even outside the country, specifically in cases where guardians cannot come to take the child back. To keep the strings connected centre staff follows up with the family to check if the child was doing fine and had adjusted well.

After Care Program PP

Transition preparedness and independence support

Many times, children develop unrealistic expectations from themselves which may not correspond to the skill sets they possess. To address this aspect, as soon as a child turns 16, staff members strike up a conversation with the child around his/her career, regular meetings with the career counsellors are organised and a rehabilitation plan is drawn to prepare the child to step out of protective auspices of residential centres.

The implementation of a rehabilitation plan includes interaction with the child steered by the career counsellor and the centre coordinator on monthly basis.

The focal points of these interactions are strengthening child’s resolve towards the career path that he/she has chosen and whether the rehabilitation steps are panning out as per the plan or not. Preparation of a child for rehabilitation may be fraught with challenges as children are sceptical and scared about leading an independent life outside the centre; they may also become angry and hostile or may distance themselves from the staff members. These negative emotions of young boys and girls at the threshold of maturity are understandable and staff members help them overcome these emotions by recurrent talks and assuring that the SBT team would be a ‘call away’.

Role model interaction is a unique aspect of SBT’s rehabilitation programme. Role models are young adults rehabilitated by SBT, who have established themselves as successful professionals. They visit various residential centres periodically to interact with the children who are soon to be rehabilitated and share their stories of ‘doing well’ in the outside world.

These interactions serve as a platform to quench children’s curiosity who have scores of questions about starting a life of their own in the outside world. The most outstanding feature of these interactions is that they leave children with a feeling that ‘If they (role models) can do it, I also I!’, inspiring them to work hard and make a mark of their own.

Children above 16 years of age or those who clear their 10th board exam qualify for vocational training. Choice of a vocational training course for a

child is made keeping in mind the child’s interest and realistic assessment of his/her abilities by the career counsellor and staff members. A careful attempt is made to match the child’s skill and ability with the training course he/she opts for. The SBT team makes concerted efforts to enrol children in quality training courses in reputed institutes. The popular choices of courses have been Master Desk Top Publishing, web and graphic designing, multi-media animation, film editing, C++ software, caregiving, house-keeping, puppetry, karate, theatre and photography. Some of the institutes which provided training were ITI Pusa Road, NIIT, MAAC, Arena Multi-media, Crown Plaza, Taj Mahal Hotel, Vivek Sahni’s Design House, The Ishara Puppet Theatre Trust, YMCA, Triveni Kala Sangam & Ramakrishna Institute of Computers.

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Around 70 percent children get ready for jobs from homes as well as from communities who are supported, till they get a job with starting income of Rs.8000Rs10000 per month. Every year 300 YAs are given vocational trainings post which 150 are guaranteed to get jobs with starting salaries of Rs.10000 per month. Academically sound children are into various advanced courses and get absorbed in the jobs like fashion designing, digital media and design, management etc. But children with lesser education get jobs in computer related works, care giving in SBT or other NGOs. YAs more than 18 years come through 10 contact points of the organization who are also given supports like trainings, rehabilitations, and job placements.

Children on attaining maturity are not allowed to stay in children homes but Salaam Baalak Trust do not have after care facilities that required extra interventions and staff strength. These children are not sent to Govt after Care homes but to the independent rented accommodation, mess, hostel, with families, supported with the organization’s own funds for at least 6-8 months for professional trainings of the YAs capabilities and choices. Salaam Baalak also support YAs with Rs.5000 per YA apart from their professional/vocational course fees, after they move to their independent living set ups. After YAs get Different Shared Living Arrangements for Care Leavers

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the jobs, the financial support for another 6 months reduced to Rs.3000 per YA per month.

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Post care supports to YAs in different living spaces

Salaam Baalak Trust supports children who want to study further by incurring 50 per cent of the course expense apart from facilitating the admission process. Similarly, children who look at an upgrade of their vocational skills through advance courses, SBT encourages them by contributing up to 75 percent of the course fee. In cases of medical or other emergencies when the rehabilitated youth need assistance, SBT provides them immediate succour till five years after their rehabilitation.

Even after a child is rehabilitated, the SBT team maintains contact with the child to ensure that he/she finds stability and enjoyment in their work. The team also keeps in touch with employers for a minimum of six months to ensure that rehabilitated children have adjusted to the new work environment. Due to some unforeseen circumstances, if a rehabilitated child quits his/her job, the team begins a process of placing such children in new agencies. The process of replacement of a child is carried out again in cases where a child expresses dissatisfaction with the second set-up as well. Thus, rigorous efforts are put in to make a rehabilitated child self-reliant.

Children are introduced to a new life with a message that the SBT team would be there with them in their time of need. It is because of this reason that many children after passing out of SBT keep coming back to meet the staff members and trustees of the organisation, thus forming a lifelong relationship of love and care. Coordinator and career counsellors interact with the YAs into jobs and living in independent

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accommodations. The staff have continuous follow up in the YAs’ different living spaces about how they are adjusting in the new set up and what are their requirements. Coordinators are in regular contact over phone or through visits to their places to assess how are they managing alone and understand their requirements. Counselling is done for YAs if they are unable to live harmoniously among themselves. Career counselors counsels the children about what types of jobs they can get based on their capabilities as well as resolves the problems or challenges they face in workplaces.

SBT alumni who are well settled in their lives are in contact with SBT. Some of the alumni are so well settled in their chosen professions as photographers, engineering job etc. that they provide financial support to SBT.

Challenges faced by the organization Children have much more expectation than their capabilities. Career counsellors need to provide proper judgement on what and how much a child can do based on his/her capability. And challenge is to make the child understand his/her skillset and capability.

Placing YAs into other living spaces on attaining maturity is another challenge faced by the staff at Salaam Baalak Trust. These YAs sometime get angry and hostile and distance themselves from the staff members. The staff face challenges to help YAs overcome these emotions by recurrent talks and assuring that the team would be a ‘call away’.

CHAPTER

5

Conclusions and Recommendations

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P

reparation for leaving care and after-care support are highly important stages to ensure that young people are adequately equipped with the necessary life skills to cope with living independently following their discharge from care.

Care leavers require assistance during out-of-home care in preparation and planning for the transition, as well as the offer of support systems after leaving out-of-home care.37 This includes assisting care leavers with suitable accommodations along with other support needs. A safe and secure home is the foundation on which care leavers can build their lives after care.

Having this base means that they can fulfil ambitions, gain qualifications or enter work, establish themselves within a community and put the difficulties of their childhoods behind them. While state and national policy recognise the need for better support of young people transitioning from care, many young people continue to face difficulties when they leave.

The last two chapters examined the supports provided

by Rainbow Homes to young people in transition to independent living and explores the staff and the YAs’ views and experiences concerning housing and post care supports. It also focuses on other NGO’s experiences of managing YAs in different living spaces after transition from their respective organizations.

The perceptions, challenges and experiences of YAs leaving care have been captured through in-depth interviews and FGDs with YAs and future focal persons of Rainbow Homes as well as care providers of sample organizations. Based on these findings, Chapter 5 focuses on the practices of post care interventions to be continued and overarching areas of interventions to be taken. Although a very limited number of organizations and care leavers are studied based on which the results cannot be generalised, however the findings do show the types of challenges in aftercare livings and practices that can be adopted towards the betterment of aftercare program.

37 McDowall, 2009;2011 Mendes, 2009; Mendes, et al.,2008; Stein, 2006

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Effective transition/pathway plans for better coping on stepping out from care Interviews with YAs and stakeholders in different organizations shows that many care leavers were simply excited to have more independence and freedom away from care homes, but after moving out from the homes, they acknowledged about feeling less prepared and having lesser understanding about what living independent would involve.

Initially we had great excitement at the time of transitions since we thought it would be great to live independently without any rule and instructions, to have our own freedom.

We can see more challenges than enjoyments after moving from Rainbow Homes.

– Care leavers from Bangalore, Kolkata The study shows that organizations aim to ensure that all young adults leaving care are placed in suitable housing in the community as well as provide best of its supports in order to help them live independently.

However, the care staff in sample organizations including Rainbow Homes face multiple challenges of complex nature in transition planning and delivering supports to YAs before they step out from institutional care. With the numbers of care leavers increasing significantly, the challenges come due to increased workloads on the staff with reduced capacities, lack of resources with organizations and lack of aftercare supports by the Governments. Additionally, the organizations stated that challenge to include practical trainings on household activities for better coping of YAs post transition is because of objections of government for pushing children into ‘work’. The JJ act and rules as well as the protection schemes, ICPs do not address the specific transition and rehabilitation planning and

have inadequate provisions which only a handful of the organizations can access.

A lack of independent living skills resulted in young people having difficulties managing money, preparing food and keeping their homes clean (Mendes, 2010, p.19). The present study reveals that YAs leaving care lack important life skills required to live independently outside care system. Many of the YAs reported about feeling scared for independent life, not ready to manage a tenancy, especially in regards to paying bills and financial planning. In questions about what more could be included in the transition plans before leaving care, hands-on experiences on cooking and household management (budgeting, managing finances etc.) were given priorities by the YAs interviewed in this study. The research uncovered instances of YAs burning hands or food while cooking, failing to pay utility bills on time, being unable to fulfil their basic needs like washing clothes, manage household works and study simultaneously. It was also seen that most of the YAs learnt the practicalities of independent living through everyday mistakes in their living spaces, despite efforts of the organizations to develop independent living skills among children during their stay in CCIs.

Key Recommendations Instilling financial responsibilities, value for money, managing finances are most crucial to independent living. Although there are trainings and workshops for YAs in all organizations on enhancing independent living skills, the findings show that YAs struggle with managing tenancy, finance, household responsibilities etc. The study lends further evidence to illustrate the ways in which lack of budgetary skills hindered YAs’ attempts to manage their finances on a daily basis. There are incidences that YAs supported with stipend on stepping out of institutional care spend the entire stipend within a few days and struggle at the end of the month with no money in hands. Many do not understand the importance of saving money after procuring salaried jobs, even though they have bank accounts. Hence, skill building activities should be part of the mandatory transition planning for 14-18 years of age group.

The transition plans should address their financial capability and money management capacity, along with the strategies to develop their skills in this area. It is understood that there should be hands on experiences to be provided to YAs in

Stakeholders’ opinions “While focusing on housing and professional skills of YAs on the verge of transition, developing independent skills gets lesser attention. We provide a little amount of pocket money every month to observe how they manage money while in the care. Also 15+ YAs are sent out for train ticket booking or operating bank so that they get practical skills much before transition. To teach YAs value for money, the YAs into jobs have to mandatorily keep their bank ATM cards with us for initial few months so that their salaries are saved and they do not get chance to spend their income on entertainments, mobile, outside food etc.”

- Team at Don Bosco Hyderabad “We take girls to grocery shops and market with some money to purchase required things so that they can understand the costs of the groceries, bargain and manage available finances with them.”

– Team at Baale Mane, Bangalore “Once the girls reach 14 years, we slowly give them trainings on cooking apart from other household chores so that they do not face difficulty to be on their own post transition from care.”

– Team at Mahima India, Kolkata

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existing transition plans on enhancing independent living skills, particularly on household economics.

Sample organizations spoke about initiatives such as taking YAs to markets to purchase things, manage the finance, bargain with shop keepers, bus or metro rides etc. which could be practiced at higher scale.

Giving some amount of pocket money at the time of stay in care institutions and observing how YAs utilise the pocket money can be a way to provide practical training on money management and habit of savings. Monitoring system to assess the financial status of the YAs living outside care institution to provide guidance on budgeting, saving techniques, investment options etc would help them understand finance responsibilities. As practiced by some of the sample organizations in this study, YAs into salaried full time/part time jobs can surrender their ATM cards to organization to restrict unnecessary spending of their hardearned income.

Other important areas for independent living is to teach cooking, maintaining kitchen, taking responsibilities, being organized, etc. which YAs do not learn in care system as these are handled by care staff in all the organizations. Children during their stay in CCIs to be given increased levels of household responsibilities, based on their age and subject to their consent that would help YAs settle in independent living smoothly.

Initiative of “Transition Camp” by Rainbow Homes, Hyderabad was to put girls of different age groups (16+) from different homes within Rainbow Home set up for 15 days, whereas the YAs had shared responsibilities of cooking, There are objections by social audit agencies or inspection committees from Department in teaching children the practical skills of cooking. How all of a sudden, we can expect them to be perfect in independent living skills, at 18 years? This might be changed with sharing of knowledge and raising awareness on leaving care issues.

- Sample NGO representatives

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cleaning, preparing smaller girls for schools, grooming smaller girls etc. Such camp worked as mock for the girls to understand various practical difficulties in staying with girls of different mindsets and how to resolve conflicts by themselves without any adult interventions.

Enhancing employability skills is another overarching area that needs focus. Interviews with YAs of Rainbow Homes as well as stakeholders from sample organizations revealed that Young Adults across different organizations are mostly unaware of the diverse options in job market and what each field entails and whether that is aligned with their own interest and capabilities. Apart from professional trainings for job readiness, well in advance training before transition on developing resilience, concentrate on roles, delivering tasks, being accountable and coping with stress at the workplace; as well as enhancing skills on English speaking, preparing resume, answering interview questions, arranging mock interviews etc. would help them to crack interviews. Role model interaction is a unique practice by Salaam Balaak Trust where youth staying outside care systems visit the organizations periodically to interact with younger children and share their stories of ‘doing well’ in the outside world. Such interactions leave children with a feeling that ‘If they can do it, I also I!’ Interactions of Alumni groups who are well settled in different professions with younger generations in CCIs would help them understand challenges of independent living and how the alumni coped with the challenges. The Alumni group can be part of the decision-making process for their younger siblings and contribute to their transition plans bringing in practical difficulties faced by them after moving from care. Sample organizations in this study mentioned about strong alumni program and annual events where youth who left the care system are invited for a re-union. YAs interviewed in the study too mentioned about importance of alumni forum providing opportunities to YAs staying outside care to connect to their organizations on regular basis to interact with

younger children, teach them dancing, yoga or share their experiences of independent living with the younger children.

Effective Housing supports: Different Living Arrangements for YAs leaving care Securing suitable accommodations for young people has been a major concern for the care staff across organizations. The accommodation options available to care leavers vary between local areas for reasons such as the availability, cost, and suitability of different living arrangements. As per the JJ Act, Model rules and Integrated Child Protection Scheme, YAs leaving are the responsibilities of States and after care funds to be provided by the States to place YAs on attaining 18 years in community group housing, a temporary residential arrangement for a group of 6-8 young persons for temporary period of time before moving to a place of their own on saving sufficient amount through their income.

Types of housing assistance provided by the sample organizations are i) Aftercare housing under After Care Program support under ICPS and ii) Independent housing with financial supports from organizations or independent contributions. This includes government’s social welfare hostels, working women hostels/ swadhar homes at free of cost, private college hostel with costs covered under course fees funded by organizations as well as private hostels, paying guests accommodations, mess and private rented buildings either funded by either organizations or covered by contributions of YAs into jobs. Whilst after care centres/ transitional homes or Group Homes have care leavers with staff to stay with YAs as a support in their living, independent living arrangements do not provide direct care staff from the organizations to stay with them. Care leavers in private rented building (group living accommodations), particularly are completely on their own whereas care leavers in hostels or mess have some sorts of supports of Wardens/Supervisors for their daily living.

The YAs leaving care face many challenges in staying in different housing facilities and care givers (future

Types of living arrangements in sample organizations Rainbow Homes: Within families, Private college hostels, Social Welfare Hostels, Working women hostels, mess, rented accommodation for group living SBT: Within families, Private rented buildings, mess, government and private hostel Udayan Care: After care transition home, group or scattered site housing, Social Welfare Hostels, College Hostels, Rented buildings, Women Welfare Hostels, Mess Mahima India: After care unit under ICPS grants, Group Homes for YAs over 21 years, government’s working women hostel/swadhar homes, social welfare/private hostels Baale Mane Trust: Paying Guest accommodations Don Bosco, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Howrah: After Care Centres, Paying Guest Accommodations, private rented rooms SOS Children’s Village, Bangalore: Paying Guest accommodations focal team of Rainbow Homes as well as care staff of sample organizations) struggles to support them to do so. Interviews with young adults transited from Rainbow Homes as well as stakeholders in sample organizations in the study suggest that some of them had experienced challenges in their different living spaces. For example, as evident in the report, there were number of barriers preventing young adults in accessing accommodations in private rented buildings for living in groups, as most of the landlords were not ready to give out to the YAs, particularly to the girls mainly as they are care leavers. Landlords were apprehensive about girls continuing rents and were suspicious about the girls’ point of reference, in case the girls do mischiefs and run away. Some YAs of Rainbow Homes had cooperative landlords helping them showing nearby markets to get things in cheaper rate or providing some household products, identifying their challenges in new set ups and keeping state team Different Shared Living Arrangements for Care Leavers

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informed so that care staff could intervene. However, the study revealed that most of the YAs in private rented building struggled with high electricity or water bills charged by landlords, stopping of water supplies, blaming YAs for any breakage or leakage in the apartments, despite other tenants lived in the apartments. Some young adults were placed in hostels, which made them feel isolated and lonely or scared as they had to stay with strangers of different mind-set as well as dealt with unknown people in the neighbourhood. Some transited YAs interviewed in the study reported feeling unsafe in their local area and their post care living spaces due to factors such as, areas with reputation in political violence or hostels with very a smaller number of residents etc.

Key Recommendations PP

Home integration with supports- Family strengthening

Social policy and child welfare practice should aim to help families remain together, promote family reunification or legally secure so that children after transition can be placed with the families. In situations where young care leavers have families and they have healthy relationships with family and families are able to take care of them, YAs after 18 can be placed within the families after thorough assessments of the risk factors in placing in families, the families’ capabilities and evaluations by the Child Welfare Committees. Some of the sample organizations mentioned about family strengthening program being taken up before placing care leavers into the families, and supporting the children in terms of education, college fees or vocational courses fees. Apart from supporting children with the families, the aspects of family strengthening include sensitizing the families, empowering women of the families of care leavers with the capacity to protect and care for their children and help them become self-reliant.

As part of family strengthening and enhancing livelihoods of the families of care leavers, concrete steps can be taken to link the families with existing Government housing schemes. Two important schemes can be brought under the aftercare program for children leaving care, such as, i) Pradhan Mantri 72

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Gramodaya Yojana (PMGY) that extends benefits to rural poor living Below the Poverty Line and ii) Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna (PMAY) that offers sustainable and affordable housing to individuals and families belonging to the economically challenged section of society.

PP

Semi-regulated accommodations: Government and private hostels, Mess and PG accommodations

YAs living in hostels, teach YAs to live independently along with strangers of similar age group, how to customize themselves with the new environment, new people of about the age they are. The study suggests that young care leavers in hostel placements learn various self-management techniques such as time management, being more disciplined, being motivated to study in the absence of responsibilities of cooking, cleaning etc, despite hurdles like financial crises, adjustment issues, personal helplessness, loneliness because of non-mingling inmates, poor quality meals, unhygienic atmosphere etc. Care leavers into vocational or academic courses can be placed into hostels on attaining maturity age groups as the accommodations are either free or cost-effective, and the YAs can concentrate on education in the absence of any responsibility of household chores that are taken care of by the managements.

PP

Supported Group living arrangements: Youth Homes/Hostels

The sample YAs had mixed views on mentored vis a vis non-mentored living arrangement. The study shows struggles of YAs in any unsupported and unguided living arrangements (particularly group living) in the absence of practical life skills. It has been seen that YAs under mentorship of a care staff have done much better in coping with the initial struggles of independent living. For example, young care leavers from Rainbow Homes, Delhi had Mentor/ Living supervisor who stayed with the newly transited care leavers till evening every day, whose advice and guidance helped them learn efficient money managements, to live in harmony, to be more understanding and cooperative with others.

Another groups of care leavers mentioned that group living with a caring and supportive Mentor would be helpful to get guidance on many things, but they

would never be able to deal with real life challenges and learn things from mistakes. However, the overall understanding as reflected from the interviews with care leavers was giving more weightage to mentored living for initial few months after transition from care.

The practitioners of sample NGOs shared their own view about the types of housing supports to be provided to the YAs leaving care, in the absence of any clear guidelines on accommodation arrangements for these YAs who do not have families to be reintegrated into. However, all had agreement that care leavers need to be given guided accommodation supports for at least initial 6 months on transitioning from care system.

Youth Homes/Hostels with a Mentor staff Some of the practitioners dealing with after care services pointed out that given the background of

Pros and Cons of Mentored living Pros: PP Emotional support in times of depression and someone to whom YAs can ventilate.

PP Better safety and security, especially for girls PP Better financial management and household chores PP Younger generations in CCIs in much mentally secured position seeing the youth home model.

PP Good platform to socialise as many other girls/ boys from different homes and different organizations can be placed in youth hostels Cons: PP Feeling of restrictions as in CCIs PP Mentor/Supervising Staff acting like instructor PP Mentor/Supervising staff intruding into care leavers’ privacy PP Mentors imposing own decision on care leavers PP Strict rules and CCI like routines in which care leavers might feel uncomfortable

care leavers from CCIs, placing them in hostels or mess run by managements other than the particular organizations the care leavers transit from, would be more challenging for them to cope up as they would struggle to stay among unknown faces. Establishing city wise Supported Youth Home/Hostels run by Rainbow Homes Program to place newly transited YAs on attaining maturity (15-20 care leavers in one set up) would be stepping stone, before they move to more independent accommodations like staying in groups in private rented accommodations. Such homes/hostels would be better managed by the care leavers themselves, if an adult mentor stay with them to provide friendly guidance or help them to manage conflicts etc. Such arrangements would not interfere into care leavers privacy but would definitely help them overcome the stress that YAs face during their independent living stage.

PP

Transition from supported group living to independent group living

The study suggests that supported living for at least some period of time after moving away from care institutions would help YAs as the initial challenges faced by the children going directly in different living arrangements, especially independent group living in private rented building can be addressed. If YAs are placed directly in group living arrangements to live on their own with all responsibilities being shared, they get puzzled, since they do not learn many practical life skills in the CCIs, which made them difficult to manage all alone in GL arrangements. Such Youth Home/Hostel can be Transition homes for 18+ children from other CCIs as well before they are moved to any other living arrangements. Few YAs might consider the mentored While doing full time jobs, care leavers can switch to any unsupported and more independent group living arrangements because they do not have to concentrate on education after coming back from work and hence would be ready to take as much responsibilities of households chores.

Practitioners in sample organizations

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Opinions of care leavers on supported youth homes While most of the YAs in the study sample agreed of the requirements of mentored living arrangements in initial few months after transition from Care Institutions, some pointed out specificity of supported youth homes.

The guided/ mentored Youth homes/ hostels should not have strict rules and regulations like CCIs in terms of going out and returning to hostels, because care leavers into job might not be able to come on stipulated time and that should not be regarded as non-adherence of rule.

The adult Mentor should not be dominating, since care leavers are matured enough to have independence to manage their lives. The adult mentor just for guidance would make care leavers independent.

Decision making support and financial management support would help care leavers to ease with the struggles of initial periods after transition.

Individual tantrums of members on particular food etc would not be considered which would help care leavers learn adjusting to life on their own.

Care leavers need to abide by the hostel routine which brings discipline among the care leavers who are otherwise lazy and disobey routine in independent living.

Guidelines on how much time to spend over phone and a scheduled timing to switch off Wi-Fi/ broadband connections so that no care leavers are allowed internet surfing in the night. This would not hamper sleep timings of care leavers Certain entertainment activities such as TV, internet connection and a library with collection of academic and non-academic books.

Opinions of stakeholders on supported youth homes A balance between the freedoms as well as certain rules not hampering the YAs’ independence in supported Youth Home/Hostel would make YAs leaving care more discipline. There is no control over going out and coming back in independent group living arrangements and it is nearly impossible to maintain disciplines in unguided living. Also, stricter rules would never be helpful because ‘more you try to bind them, more they will be indiscipline’. There are high chances of groupism in independent living without Mentors and a delayed follow up would show only grievances from the children despite efforts from care staff, children would never try to become independent. However, a mentor watching the behavior of girls in groups, guiding and hand holding to mitigate the difficulties they face without controlling their independence would slowly make YAs understand their responsibilities.

Youth Homes/Hostels with a residential Mentor with participative management space would help newly transited YAs to gain confidence, learn new household skills, manage the household economies well, since YAs would not like close monitoring from or stricter rules after entering maturity. Such mentoring would only work with establishment of a strong bonding between Mentors who are residential and YAs. Keeping on changing the Mentors would loosen that bonding and hence, Mentors need to be empathetic and dedicated to make the model successful.

Placing transited YAs into mentored Youth Homes/Hostel means moving from one hostel set up to another hostel set up, despite supported living considered to be the effective solution for newly transited YAs because going straight from care to living independently would often be too big a step for YAs. However, management of such youth homes/hostels should be under close monitoring of the organizations of the 74

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care leavers. The youth homes, on the one hand, should not have strict rules as otherwise YAs would lose their individuality and on the other hand, YAs should not be left on their own because they would misuse the freedom. Close monitoring but friendly guidance is important to handle these care leavers, else the Model would not succeed.

YAs after 18 years of age will be bound to face difficulty in independent living and manage everything alone from initial period of time. Hence, supported living in groups can be offered with a residential staff or a supervisor to help in financial management, managing household chores and managing work/ study simultaneously. After initial 6 months they can move for independent living. In case of Youth Hostels, it is difficult to monitor very strictly like switching off the mobile phone etc as YAs may regard that as interference in their privacy. However, a mentor staying with them can talk to them or guide them about right and wrong in friendly manner. The existing care staff with whom the children already had shared good emotional bonding before transition from care would be best to guide YAs in Youth Home/Hostel.

Youth home as another institution with strict rules and guidelines, yet, we have to make them understand the difference and that the Mentor would just guide them without intervening into their independence of living and decision making.

Post care supports to transited care leavers Systematized monitoring mechanisms were pointed out as a primary challenge in improving after care services for the youth because of increased workloads, number of young adults increasing significantly and lack of resources with the organizations. There is lack of uniformity in the financial supports offered to the youth leaving care. As evident from the findings, YAs staying in after care centres on attaining maturities get the facilities like lodging, boarding and study/course expenses, entirely covered by the care organizations, whereas, YAs in independent living set ups gets either one-time financial grants to set up the living arrangements or monthly stipend for few months to manage their livings outside care. The studied sample organizations mentioned about independent living financial supports to care leavers ranging between Rs.2500 to Rs.5000 on need basis apart from college fees or fees for their professional/vocational courses.

Some of the sample organizations mentioned about reduced amount of financial supports for first 6 months after YAs get their first jobs so that they can manage

Decisions about when to withdraw from the life of a young person take into account how they are travelling on their life journey. Decisions about this are informed by our model of working with them and are not decisions informed by what funding we receive.

Team at Salaam Baalak Trust to save some of their income in those 6 months. Some organizations mentioned about supporting with pocket money, rice and other monthly provisions of groceries for initial few months in YAs’ independent living set ups, whereas utility expenses such as, rents, electricity, water are contributed from YAs’ salaries.

SOS mentioned about a three-year financial support programs to care leavers with Rs.2500 to each YA in the first year of getting employment, which gets reduced to Rs.1500 in second year and further reduced to Rs.1000 in the third year. Stakeholders had an agreement that decision on withdrawing financial supports from youth settling outside care organizations varies between individual youth. While some young people flourish upon leaving care, settle in their professional career with decent jobs and have stable housing, others struggle with issues like social isolation, mental health issues, substance abuse, nonemployment etc.

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have been monitoring the YAs’ independent living to provide emotional guidance or supports as and when required. One of the challenges faced by organizations were keeping children motivated in retaining their jobs. In certain instances, YAs are unable to continue with present jobs for various reasons ranging from aspiration for better career opportunities to feeling of being undervalues and care staff struggled to help YAs develop strong work ethics. Some of the sample organizations spoke about facing challenges in getting funds for expensive professional courses aspired by few YAs, whereas some were successful in getting sponsorships for such courses.

Key Recommendations All the stakeholders had agreement that the present allocations on After Care Program under ICPS, that is, Rs.2000 per month per youth is grossly inadequate as this amount money is unable to cover the monthly expenses of food, clothing, transportation etc. As mentioned by one of the sample organizations, leaving costs for education and vocation courses, expenditure incurred for YAs are not less than Rs.12000 – Rs.15000 per youth per month. As a possible way out, YAs can be included in the financial inclusion scheme such as, Jan Dhan Yojana, to have affordable access to financial services such as bank accounts, loan benefits, insurance covers etc.

Sample organizations faced challenges in getting funds for expensive professional courses aspired by the YAs, whereas some still struggle to link YAs into different job based trainings.

Increased networks and collaborations with corporate sectors, community members might be

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helpful to arrange apprenticeships or internships for YAs with different companies as well as get financial aids and scholarships for expensive professional courses. Apart from that, integration with different ministries like Social Justice and Empowerment or Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, or convergence with existing skills development schemes by government such as, Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojna (PMKVY), National Urban Livelihood Mission (NULM) can be helpful.

It is a challenge for every organization interviewed in this study to keep the motivation of care leavers, who are in salaried jobs, to retain their work. Trainings and workshops to teach value for money might help them to be less impulsive and understanding that despite facing difficulties in present workplaces, they should not resign from jobs without finding alternatives. One good practice worth mentioning here is the initiative

by Udayan Care in taking informal undertaking from care leavers to respect the organization’s independence supports for them, so that YAs take things seriously, perform good in education and professional courses, do not take impulsive decision of leaving jobs for petty reasons, maintain work ethics in workplaces etc.

YAs while living independently face a lot of challenge emotionally which require counselling.

Hence, one of the important post care support from organizations to the care leavers would be keeping regular contract with part time counsellor to provide counselling as and when required in care leavers’ living arrangements, irrespective of supported or independent livings.

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The report of the committee for Analysing Data of Mapping and Review Exercise of Child Care Institutions under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 and Other Homes, Vol 1, Constituted by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, on 2nd May 2017 Modi, K., Nayar-Akhtar, M., Ariely, S., & Gupta, D. (2016). Addressing Challenges of Transition from Children’s Home to Independence: Udayan Care’s Udayan Ghars (Sunshine Children’s Homes) & Aftercare Programme Supporting young people leaving out of home care; https://aifs.gov.au/cfca/sites/default/files/ publication-documents/leaving-care.pdf Mendes, P. (2011). Addressing the Housing Needs of Young People Transitioning from State Out of Home Care in Rural Victoria.

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Official Website of Mahima India, Kolkata; Web: https://www.mahimaindia.net/program. php?program_id=2 Official Website of Udayan Care, Delhi; Web: https:// udayancare.org/ Official Website of Udayan Care, Delhi; Web: https:// www.salaambaalaktrust.com/