RAIPUR,CG,BHARAT: Children below the age of 18 in need of care and protection will be identified under the ‘Pravtakta’ and Mission Vatsalya programs, with financial assistance of ₹4,000 per month provided to support their medical, educational, and nutritional needs.

The initiative, led by the Women and Child Development Department under the Integrated Child Protection Scheme, aims to improve the quality of life for these children by offering supplementary assistance to their families. This will help ensure the children's overall well-being and future development.

According to the department, the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, amended in 2021, emphasizes that institutional care for children should be a last resort. Family and community environments are seen as most conducive to a child's holistic development. Therefore, the program offers family-based sponsorship to meet children's needs in areas such as education, nutrition, and health.

The program is divided into two categories: preventive and rehabilitation. In the preventive category, children living with their biological families receive ₹4,000 per month to prevent homelessness, child labor, child marriage, and forced migration. In the rehabilitation category, children residing in child care institutions due to financial constraints are reintegrated into family settings with financial aid.

Eligible children include those whose parents have died, children living with extended families, single-parent children (particularly of widowed or abandoned mothers), children with parents in jail, and those whose parents are disabled or suffering from severe illness. Additionally, vulnerable groups such as homeless children, victims of natural disasters, trafficked children, and those affected by HIV/AIDS, among others, qualify for assistance.

Families in rural areas with an annual income below ₹72,000 and those in other areas with income under ₹96,000 are eligible. The financial support is provided until the child reaches the age of 18.

The District Child Protection Unit oversees the implementation of the program. Identification of eligible children is carried out by the unit, social workers, volunteers, or local committees. Approval for assistance is granted by the District Magistrate, following verification by the Child Welfare Committee. Upon approval, a bank account is opened for the child, and monthly payments are transferred directly.

For further information and application details, families can contact the District Child Protection Unit in their respective districts.