Centre for Child Rights, NUSRL

The Foster Care and Aftercare Programme of the Centre for Child Rights (CCR) at National University of Study and Research in Law is being implemented in strategic collaboration with UNICEF, the Jharkhand State Child Protection Society, and the Department of Women, Child Development & Social Security, Government of Jharkhand. The initiative is designed to strengthen family-based alternative care systems for children in need of care and protection by advancing the transition from institutional care toward community and family-centred care arrangements. The programme is grounded in the principles enshrined in the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 and the operational framework of Mission Vatsalya, which emphasize that institutionalization should be considered a measure of last resort and that children are best nurtured within family environments.
The programme is being implemented across three selected districts—Bokaro, Hazaribagh, and West Singhbhum—through an integrated model that combines evidence-based needs assessment, institutional capacity strengthening, and sustained field mentoring. The initiative focuses on building the capacities of key child protection stakeholders, including District Child Protection Units, statutory bodies, and community actors; developing structured databases of prospective foster families; strengthening systematic case management for children eligible for foster care and aftercare; and fostering inter-departmental convergence to facilitate access to education, health, shelter, and livelihood opportunities for children and youth transitioning out of Child Care Institutions.
To ensure effective programme implementation and technical rigor, the initiative is supported by specialized mentoring partners, including Foster Care Society based in Udaipur and Udayan Care based in New Delhi, both of which bring extensive experience in operationalizing foster care and aftercare systems in India. District Technical Consultants have been deployed in the intervention districts to provide on-ground facilitation and technical assistance to the district administrations. In addition, the state-level team from the Centre for Child Rights undertakes regular monitoring and review visits to ensure programmatic quality, documentation of best practices, and alignment with statutory child protection mechanisms. Collectively, the initiative seeks to institutionalize a sustainable, rights-based ecosystem for family-based care and structured aftercare support, thereby enabling vulnerable children and young adults to achieve long-term social reintegration and well-being.

The Diversion and Child-Sensitive Policing Initiative of the Centre for Child Rights (CCR) at National University of Study and Research in Law is implemented in collaboration with UNICEF, the Jharkhand Police, and the Department of Women, Child Development & Social Security, Government of Jharkhand to strengthen the functioning of Special Juvenile Police Units (SJPUs) and enhance the capacity of Child Welfare Police Officers (CWPOs). Recognizing that the police often serve as the first point of contact for both children in need of care and protection and children in conflict with law, the initiative focuses on promoting child-friendly policing practices and the effective implementation of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015. Through a structured competency-based training programme implemented across Ranchi, West Singhbhum, and Hazaribagh, the initiative seeks to strengthen institutional understanding of diversion and alternatives to detention, improve inter-agency coordination with statutory child protection bodies, and ensure that children are treated in accordance with the principles of dignity, best interest, and rehabilitation. By advancing restorative and community-based responses, the programme contributes to reducing unnecessary institutionalization and supports the social reintegration and well-being of children within the juvenile justice system.

The Gender Transformative Adolescent (GTA) Initiative implemented by the Centre for Child Rights (CCR) at National University of Study and Research in Law is a collaborative effort undertaken in partnership with UNICEF and the Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society to advance gender equality and adolescent empowerment in Jharkhand. Initiated in 2024 through a non-financial partnership, the programme was rolled out in Phase I across twelve focus districts, engaging approximately 70–75 civil society and NGO partners. The initiative is anchored in the Gender Transformative Adolescent (GTA) Toolkit, a practical framework designed to equip adolescents, communities, and frontline stakeholders with knowledge and participatory tools to challenge entrenched gender norms, promote equitable opportunities, and strengthen adolescent agency. In alignment with UNICEF’s Gender Action Plan (2022–2025), which integrates gender-responsive approaches across sectors such as education, health, protection, and social policy, the programme prioritizes addressing structural inequalities including child marriage, gender-based violence, and barriers to adolescent development.
To operationalize the initiative, a series of Training of Trainers (ToT) programmes were organized to develop a cadre of Master Trainers drawn from NGO and community partners, enabling the systematic rollout of the GTA Toolkit at the grassroots level. Following the initial trainings, the toolkit was disseminated to participating organizations to support community-level engagement with adolescents, Self-Help Groups, and local stakeholders. Key programme milestones included the GTA Toolkit Workshop – “Moving Ahead Together” (17 February 2025), a strategic consultation with NGO senior management (19 May 2025), and a sequence of refresher ToT programmes conducted in three phases—Batch I (21–23 May 2025), Batch II (18–20 August 2025), and Batch III (23–25 September 2025). Complemented by periodic virtual review meetings and thematic webinars, the initiative has strengthened institutional capacities and fostered collaborative learning among civil society actors. Through this integrated approach, the GTA programme seeks to cultivate empowered adolescents and gender-equitable communities by embedding transformative gender perspectives within community institutions and youth engagement processes.

The Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Initiative of the Centre for Child Rights (CCR) at National University of Study and Research in Law is implemented in collaboration with the Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society and UNICEF to strengthen community-based psychosocial support systems across Jharkhand. The initiative emerged during the COVID-19 period, when the need for structured mental health and psychosocial support services became increasingly evident, particularly among women, adolescents, and other vulnerable populations. Since then, it has evolved into a regular and sustained programme aimed at enhancing the capacities of frontline counsellors and community-based support systems to respond effectively to psychosocial distress, gender-based vulnerabilities, and emotional well-being challenges.
Within this framework, the programme focuses on strengthening the technical competencies of counsellors associated with Gender Justice Centres and community-level support structures through continuous capacity-building and mentoring. Regular training programmes, workshops, and learning sessions are organized to equip counsellors, para-legal volunteers, and educators with practical skills in trauma-informed counselling, psychosocial first aid, ethical case management, and referral mechanisms. These efforts are complemented by emotional well-being sessions conducted with educators and community stakeholders to promote supportive environments for adolescents and women. Through sustained collaboration between CCR, JSLPS, and UNICEF, the MHPSS initiative seeks to institutionalize a responsive and community-centred mental health support ecosystem that promotes resilience, safeguards dignity, and ensures accessible psychosocial care at the grassroots level.