The Community

Child Protection Programme

The Community Child Protection Programme is

a formal forum set up on a district wise basis

as well as at grassroots level to ensure

community development with respect to

child protection and welfare.

This programme will allow for interplay of dynamic top down and bottom up forces to provide for equilibrium in an otherwise open system.

It will act as a recipient of information, education and communication campaign as well as empowerment processes.

Objectives of the CCPP: create awareness and opportunities for appropriate “home grown” capacity building for people interested in working for the welfare of children.

encourage and enable prevention rather than reacting to cases of child abuse and neglect as well as violence against children.

act as a surveillance mechanism to identify children at risk and victims of abuse.

encourage the reporting of any suspected case of

child abuse to the Ministry where appropriate remedial

action is initiated.

arouse national consciousness on the problem of child

abuse, neglect and violence against children.

encourage solidarity and a co-ordinated approach to

the problem of child abuse.

better protect children against risks of degradation of

international environment.

involve community action in the prevention of child

abuse and rehabilitation of children, victims of abuse and

neglect.

ensure better handling and monitoring of cases

reported to the Ministry through case conferencing at FSB

level and through Area Child Protection Committees that

will feed into a National Child Protection Committee

chaired by the Minister.

ensure that the community owns child protection projects and activities and also understand the notion of accountability with respect to violence against children.

allow for interface and mediation between service provider and service user.

To enable timely evaluation of Child Protection Policies.

 To inculcate a culture of non-violence as per the child rights based perspective within families and communities

The Main Components of the CCPP

The District Child Protection

Committee

The District Child Protection committee:

will have the responsibility to take cognizance, discuss,

review and monitor situations/conditions leading to abuse

and neglect in children within the district.

will work on formulating programmes, activities, and

awareness campaigns to empower the community in the

identification, referral and follow-up of child abuse cases.

will work towards enlisting the collaboration and

participation of the community in the fight against child abuse

The National Child

Protection Committee

This committee will: coordinate and monitor the work of the District Child Protection Committees and the Community Child Watch to develop

work on policies to review and monitor procedures for inter-agency work for the protection of children.

make appropriate recommendations to ensure coordinations and concrete actions including training/IEC campaigns in relation to child protection.

Composition of the National Child Protection Committee:

High level officers of Ministries

Representatives of District Child Protection Committees

The District Child Protection Committee will comprise of representatives of:

Local authorities

Citizens’ Advice Bureaus

Forces Vives

Religious bodies

Parent Teachers’ Associations

Police Department

Non-Governmental Organisations

School Social Workers

Women Associations

The Community Child

Watch

The Community Child Watch will be set up in

the immediate locality of high risk areas to

ensure early detection and reporting of child

at risk cases.

The Case Conference at

Regional Child Development

Unit level.

Review and monitoring of cases by

Officers of the Ministry to:

expediate as far as possible the lessening

of trauma.

trigger early rehabilitation of children

victims of abuse and neglect.

The Case Conference will comprise of:

Family Welfare & Protection Officers

Psychologists

Police Officers attached to the

Child Development Unit

The Area Child Protection Committee

It is an inter-agency forum comprising of regional

stakeholders who will work on the safeguard of the

interest of children through better collaboration and

coordination in the handling of cases.

It will also ensure that different services and professional

groups work effectively for the cause of the child on a

regional basis.

The Area Child Protection Committee will comprise of representatives of:

Ministry of Health & Quality of Life

Ministry of Education & Human Resources

Ministry of Social Security

The State Law Office

The Probation & After Care

The Police Department – Brigade des

Mineurs

Launching of the Community Child Protection Programme

Child development Unit

Ministry of Women’s Rights, Child Development, Family Welfare & Consumer Protection

27 August 2007