Fulfilling a need
Poverty, homelessness, broken families, abandoned children constitute reality at the extreme edge of urban poverty where child rearing becomes a tenuous and ragged process. Parental death or desertion is an ever-present motif.
A crèche and day care centre, coupled with primary health services, are basic facilities of care for poor urban families. CSP’s Residential Home for Non-delinquent Abandoned and Neglected Children provides children in acute distress with protection against social abuse and a safe and nurturing environment for children compelled to live without family or shelter.
Driven by the needs of communities that CSP is associated with, the Project works to fill critical gaps in social welfare infrastructure.
Residential home for non-delinquent abandoned or neglected children
The residential home for abandoned and non-delinquent children is located at 114A Motilal Nehru Road. The Home provides children in acute distress with protection against social abuse and safe and nurturing havens for the most vulnerable members of urban families living below the poverty line – children who are deserted, left homeless, abused or face the threat of abuse.
During the day, depending on the age group, the younger children are kept in the crèche or day care centre and are educated in the CSP primary school. The older children go to nearby Government aided schools. Their fees, educational materials, health care etc, indeed all expenses are borne by CSP.
The children have a library within the premises, which is managed by one of the older children. Recreational activities play an important role in their lives – an active sports programme is complemented by music and singing lessons by trained teachers. Special emphasis is being laid on sports and athletics also in terms of personality development. The Home has a capacity of 30-35 children.
Crèche
Working mothers, mostly abandoned by their husbands or otherwise thrown into a single parent situation, are enabled by the CSP Crèche to earn a living for themselves and their children. Secure in the knowledge that her child is safe, fed and clothed, and also schooled and given medical attention, a working mother is provided the “freedom” of earning a living.
Catering to children up to the ages of 6 years, the crèche operates out of the CSP Home between 7.30 a.m. and 5.30 p.m. About 50 toddlers and infants are given lunch and evening tiffin and are cared for by full-time attendants under a supervisor.
The atmosphere and ambience of the crèche is structured to provide an essential, much-required equilibrium to counter the adverse environment they endure in their daily life at home. For the children, the time spent at the crèche is mostly play with “learn as you play” thrown in through use of play items.
Some crèche children attend the CSP Balwadi which gives them a pre-primary education. Supervised by full-time attendants, they are o guided in personal health and hygiene and awareness of good behaviour,
Basic nutrition is also provided to the children through cooked meals as per the Government of India’s “Integrated Child Development Scheme” (ICDS) norms.
Day care centre
As in the crèche, the CSP Day Care centre enables Below Poverty Line working women with children between the ages 6 to 11 years with the freedom and option to earn a living by putting them in the care of the organisation. These children are also provided nutrition, clothes, books and medical attention. The Centre operates between 8 a.m. and 5.30 p.m.
Most of these children attend the CSP Primary School and the Non-formal Education Centre during the day. Along with their normal schooling and additional coaching, the time spent in Day Care is effectively utilised by involving them in a variety of activities throughout the day. The aim is for students to imbibe a sense of good habits, good behaviour, good manners, community values and what it entails in terms of civic sense, community living, and social responsibilities.
The Centre is supervised by a teacher who also helps them with their studies and schoolwork.