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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Different Shared Living Arrangements for Care Leavers
