Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS)

Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS)

The Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS) is a centrally sponsored scheme aimed at building a protective environment for children in difficult circumstances, as well as other vulnerable children, through Government-Civil Society Partnership

The ICPS: Objectives

ICPS brings together multiple existing child protection schemes of the Ministry under one comprehensive umbrella, and integrates additional interventions for protecting children and preventing harm. ICPS, therefore, would institutionalize essential services and strengthen structures, enhance capacities at all levels, create database and knowledge base for child protection services, strengthen child protection at family and community level, ensure appropriate inter-sectoral response at all levels.

In 2006 the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) proposed the adoption of the Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS). In 2009 the central government take the scheme its approval and has begun the extensive task of providing children with a protection and safe environment to develop and flourish. The purpose of the scheme is to provide for children in difficult circumstances, as well as to reduce the risks and vulnerabilities children have in various situations and actions that lead to abuse, neglect, exploitation, abandonment and separation of children.

The specific objectives of the scheme are:

• To institutionalize essential services and strengthen structures
• To enhance capacities at all systems and persons involved in service delivery
• To create database and knowledge base for child protection services
• To strengthen child protection at family and community level
• To coordinate and network with government institutions and non-government institutions to ensure effective implementation of the scheme
• To raise public awareness about child rights, child vulnerability and child protection services.

Within care, support and rehabilitation services the scheme will provide CHILDLINE services, open shelters for children in need in urban and semi-urban areas, offer family based solutions through improving sponsorship, foster-care, adoption and after-care services, improve quality institutional services, and general grant-in-aid for need based/ innovative interventions. Within statutory support services the scheme calls for the strengthening of CWCs, JJBs, SJPUs, as well as seeing to the set up of these services in each district. Beyond this ICPS also outlines the need for human resource development for strengthening counselling services, training and capacity building, strengthening the knowledge-base, conduct research studies, create and manage a child tracking system, carry out advocacy and public education programmes, and monitoring and evaluation of the scheme.

In order to ensure the objectives and approaches of ICPS are met, the scheme also calls for the establishment of new bodies within a service delivery structure.

At the district level there are:

• District Child Protection Society (DCPS)
• District Child Protection Committee (DCPC)
• Sponsorship and Foster Care Approval Committee (SFCAC)
• Block Level Child Protection Committee
• Village Level Child Protection Committee

At the state level there are:

• State Child Protection Society (SCPS)
• State Adoption Resource Agency (SARA)
• State Child Protection Committee (SCPC)
• State Adoption Advisory Committee

At the regional level there are:

• Child Protection Division in the four Regional Centres of National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development (NIPCCD)
• Four Regional Centres of CHILDLINE India Foundation (CIF)

And lastly at the national level there are:

• CHILDLINE India Foundation- Headquarters
• Child Protection Division in the National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development (NIPCCD)
• Central Adoption Resource Agency (CARA)

The scheme outlines a specific implementation plan. It discusses the need of convergence of services to give the child the integrated plan. This is achieved through coordination of all department and ministries and NGOs involved. The annexure of the scheme lays out guidelines on how to achieve each service provided in the scheme.

source:http://childlineindia.org.in