As the world continues to drift away from models of institutionalization to person centered family-based care systems for children at risk, Nepal still falls behind in implementing sustainable strategies to ensure well rounded development for children. Despite the obligation of the state to provide special protection and assistance to children who are temporarily or permanently deprived of their family environment, the insufficiency of efforts is palpable as institutionalization of children is still viewed as the primary means to provide alternative care for vulnerable children in Nepal.  With over 533 registered Child Care Homes operating in 46 different districts, more than 15,000 children have been institutionalized and placed in Child Care Homes.

“Children at risk should be given protection through temporary shelter for rehabilitation and support rather than a permanent residential system due to the risk factors associated with institutionalization” says Kopila Basnet, a lawyer and advocate for human rights residing in Jhapa. However, due to limited resources and an unequal distribution of Child Care Homes, there are rarely other reliable forms of alternative care made available for children at risk in areas without facilities like child care homes. Among the 533 child care homes in the country, 391 of them are situated in the Bagmati province whereas the Madhesh Province with the lowest number of child care homes has only 13 of them to accommodate its helpless children.

Kopila Basnet, Lawyer and Human Rights Advocate (Image: Supplied)

“As a result, children at risk who belong to rural settings like Jhapa are removed from their communities and transferred far away to cities like Kathmandu, Biratnagar and other large urban settings.” said Basnet. The lack of decentralization of resources not only indicates a legislative flaw but also proves their failure to acknowledge the emotional and psychological needs of children at risk.

It is important to recognize that every rescued child comes from different circumstances and that a child does not simply leave home without reason. “They might be victims of abuse, have been abandoned or neglected by family, lost a parent or family member, or have undergone some kind of traumatic incident. Instead of exposing the already disturbed child to a completely foreign environment, the child should be rehabilitated and provided with protection within his/her own hometown to ensure safety as well as comfort” she explained.

The process of completely rehabilitating a child and making them sociable is an undoubtedly tedious and sensitive procedure, but it is rather incomplete without the proper consideration of their mental wellbeing. “We have witnessed cases of child suicide among vulnerable children, therefore psychological counselling services must be included in the process of rehabilitation using a treatment based approach,” said Basnet.

Since Jhapa does not have provisions to rehabilitate rescued and vulnerable children, Basnet has put forth a proposal to establish a transit home as a form of temporary shelter within the district in order to help children in need, in an attempt to address the urgency of the situation. This service-oriented transit home is envisioned to advocate for rehabilitation and reintegration with its primary focus on understanding the background of the child before safely reunifying the child with their families. Along with this, the transit home also aims to facilitate quality education to prepare capable citizens for the future.

Local village municipalities like the Buddhashanti rural municipality have pledged their support to this initiative by providing land to build the transit home. “However, their responsibility should not just end with this pledge, the government authorities must enhance efforts to make this project functional and financially sustainable by allotting a separate budget for children,” said Basnet.

While Basnet claims that there is ample support from the local community and families to promote this cause, she emphasizes on the importance and role of the government to take responsibility. According to the National Child Rights Council ( NCRC), most child care homes are operated on foreign aid or with the help of local fundraising, but the ones without either of such aid do not have a stable and sustainable economic source for smooth operation. Therefore, highlighting an even stronger need for the government to be present in projects for children at risk.

Even after providing financial assistance, the government must be actively involved to establish a transparent system and maintain check and balance. Without proper monitoring, such organizations can fall into the wrong hands and can be easily corrupted, putting the children at an even more vulnerable position.

“Children are the future of our country; therefore it is high time the government steps up and provides special attention to this matter and initiates consistent monitoring and support to direct projects as such towards the right cause” she added.