Railway to set short stay homes for children for care & protection

New Delhi: Indian Railways, the first time will go for setting up short stay homes at Stations for Children found on Railway’s Premises for immediate care and protection. Railway Board’s decision comes days after Railways issued Standard Operating Procedure (COP) in collaboration with the National Commission for Protection of Child Right for its Staff on Child Protection. Indian Railways, the National Transporter has been holding workshops across various Zonal Railways to deal with vulnerable Children.

The major Railway Station will be taken up to build short shelter homes for Children. The Railway-owned infrastructure consisting of 1000 Sqft dormitory, a 75 Sqft sick room, a 125 Sqft store room, 2 toilets along with 2 bathrooms will be constructed. The shelter Home spread across an area of 2000 sq ft having a caretaker who will be responsible for taking care of the 25 Children lodged in each Shelter.

Station Masters of Stations have the imprest for providing food and meals for the Children. The Photographs of all Children lodged at Short Stay Homes at Stations would be taken with the assistance of RPF Personnel to be pasted in the register with their names so that  Parents are able to locate their Children without any difficulty. Medical Facility will be rendered to the Children homed at Short Shelter at Stations.

Railway Women’s Welfare Organisation will be in charge of projects and will sign a Memorandum of Understanding with Child-centric NGO’s to be nominated by the Ministry of Women and Child Development.