1. India’s first child friendly Railway station – Child Protection System Presentation by Railway Children For OHCHR expert consultation 1st November 2011
Website:
Railway Children, Company Limited by Guarantee, Registered in England & Wales, No , Registered Office 1 The Commons, Sandbach CW11 1EG

2. Railway Children
Railway Children is an international development agency working in the UK, India and East Africa.
Railway Children works to create and enable sustainable change in the lives of children living on streets, without care or protection.
Railway Children is delighted to have this opportunity to share with you our learning in creating and supporting a child rights protection model at Railway Stations.

3. India and its children
19% of world’s children live in India and almost 42% of its population are children.
It is estimated that around 170 million children are vulnerable. Which include children surviving on streets and transport terminals.
53% of children reported having faced sexual abuse – Govt. of India “Study on Child Abuse, India 2007”.
The aggregate outlay for children schemes in union budget as compared to total outlay is 4.1%.
UNICEF’s (1994) estimate of 11 million street children in India, still remains widely quoted data.
Railway Children (2009) estimated that 112,000 children arrive at railway stations of India per year.
Railway Station is a critical point of intervention, intervening early to protect children from entering “street life”.

4. Is this because there is a lack of policy and legislative framework
Is this because there is a lack of policy and legislative framework? - NO
Article 15 of constitution of India - special laws and policies to safeguard rights of children.
The Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956
Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act,1986
India signed CRC in 1992
The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000 & 2006
Commission for Protection of the Rights of the Child Act, 2005
Schemes and programmes:- Programme for Juvenile Justice (post 2000), Integrated programme for street children (post 2000), Child line (1996), Integrated Child Protection Scheme (2006), National policy for children (1974)

5. Then Why? - Major challenges in Child Protection
Gaps in effective implementation of provisions of schemes and legislatives:
(E.g. Uttar Pradesh has 83 Districts, but there are only 33 Govt. homes for children and only 3 for physically challenged – JJ Act provisions for Govt. home in all the districts.)
The movement of child rights protection has gained momentum in last two decades - understanding of the resource requirement and implementation structure is still evolving.
Children are not a part of vote bank and hence push for enactment is weak.
Need is huge – service and infrastructure in comparison is negligible
Need for adequate and trained human resource

6. Multi stakeholder child protection systems led by Govt
Multi stakeholder child protection systems led by Govt. stakeholders – a workable solution to strengthen the implementation of schemes and legislative provisions

7. Journey of India’s first Child Friendly Railway Station
Railways, RPF/ GRP, vendors, porters begin tracking new the platform
Ehsaas: outreach & DIC
Railway Children Protection & Surveillance Mechanism
NR forms Special Task Force which declares making Lucknow child friendly by 2011, its goal
-Every lost/runaway child is immediately attended to.
-More children avail basic facilities, reunified with families
-More RPF/GRP referrals
-More awareness, JJ Act trainings
-No drug peddlers/beggars/pimps
300+ Railway/RPF/GRP personnel pledge to make Lucknow India’s 1st CFS by 2011.
JJ Act & Child Right trainings
Child Protection Committee formed
1st child protection booth set up at the station
Railways & NGOs engage in public-pvt partnership
4 Child Welfare Officers appointed
State level consultation
Participation in Vision conference
Stakeholder network very active
2006
2010
2011
Tunnels of Challenges
Mobility of children
North Eastern railways are not as active as Northern Railways
Older children = ‘troublemakers’
Only new/lost children are a priority
Procedural delays – e.g. transfers/orienting new staff
Children at Lucknow
Pre-2006
@ Charbagh, India’s 1st child friendly station
- Don’t have access to basic facilities
- Addicted to sniffing ‘solution’
- Police book them under Railway Act rather than JJ Act
Journey of India’s first Child Friendly Railway Station

8. AND MONITORING COMMITTEE SURVEILLANCE & PROTECTION NETWORK
Lucknow – Multi stakeholder Child Protection Network
PLANNING
AND MONITORING COMMITTEE
RAILWAY CHILDREN SURVEILLANCE AND PROTECTION CELL
SURVEILLANCE & PROTECTION NETWORK
Senior Railway & police Officials and NGO heads
Station level Railway & police officials and NGO coordinators and outreach workers
NGO’s
Child line
Coolies
Vendors
Railway Officials
Peer Educators
Street Children
Passenger
A vigilant and responsive child
protection forum
2. Trained, responsive and sensitive police
3. Effective multi stakeholder outreach – active participation from Child line (Govt. scheme)
4. Child help line displayed
5. Child protection booth at platform 1 manned 2 personnel – linked to outreach
6. 24 hr drop in centre operated by NGO (JJ Act)
7. Support system within city for disabled and terminally ill (JJ Act)
1. Child welfare officers in RPF & GRP (JJ Act)
2. Outreach at station linked to CWC in the city (JJ Act)
3. Govt. home for children linked for medium term care and protection (JJ Act)
4. Need based residential vocational training (ICPS)

9. Why this is a good practice & key learning
This “child protection network” ensures effective implementation of various legislations and schemes in Uttar Pradesh at a macro level and Lucknow city at a micro level.
First four child welfare officers (from Railway Protection Force, Govt. Railway Police) have been appointed for Lucknow station and in all GRPs across UP- JJ Act, 2000 & 2006
Children are referred to Child Welfare Committee by RPF & GRP for rehabilitation and reintegration - JJ Act, 2000 & (round ups stopped).
50% increase in RPF/GRP referrals of children to EHSAAS’s drop in centre – in turn 14 % increase in the number of children being reunified in coordination with Child Welfare Committees. - JJ Act, 2000 & 2006

10. Traffickers are also being intercepted and children rescued
Traffickers are also being intercepted and children rescued . Also, perpetrators of crime against children are arrested by police and punished. – Child labour Act and Immoral Trafficking prevention Act. No. of children etc… - include that.
EHSAAS’ (local NGO) Drop-in-centre is the first to be registered under the Integrated Child Protection Scheme so as to get Govt. aid. - Govt. scheme (access to education and development)
Key Learning: - For the sustenance of multiple stakeholder initiative, it is effective if primary Govt. stakeholder (not the civil society) takes the lead.