A knowledge kit to strengthen community-led child protection…
I. What is “VCPC”?
VCPC stands for Village Child Protection Committees, an informal group of community adults that act as a watchdog, protecting the rights of children introduced in the former Integrated Child Protection Scheme now called Child Protection Services Scheme (CPSS). VCPCs have a potential to transform communities: attitudes, behaviour, safety of children at home and in their families, influence spending of public funds on children at the village level, support families obtain entitlements, invoke and connect upwards to the formal child protection system when necessary.
II. Why is A Tool Kit Relevant In COVID Times?
In uncertain times like these when physical distancing is the new normal, it is near impossible to reach out to every child. However, now, more than ever, there is an urgent need to reach out to every child possible, their families and strengthen community-led child protection.
This VCPC tool-kit is a ‘DO-IT-YOURSELF’ kit, which is a scalable and innovative solution accessible to DCPU teams, NGOs and VCPC themselves, even while working remotely from home.
III.What is the VCPC Tool Kit?
VCPC Tool Kit is a knowledge kit aimed at strengthening community-led child protection mechanisms. It helps bridge the gap left by the dearth of human resources and assumes that communities must take up this work by themselves. The VCPC toolkit handholds grassroots child protection workers and members of VCPC as they begin a journey towards social change. The tool kit aims to provide a foundation for VCPCs to build their mandate and work.
IV. What Does the VCPC Tool Kit Contain?
- Perspective Building
- Lets understand childhood and Child Rights
- What in the laws for Children
- Child protection problems in our village
- Role and responsibility of VCPC
- Functional aspects of VCPC
- Let’s set up VCPC
- Effective Meetings of VCPC
- Skills
- Building watchful and alert communities
- Together for justice
2. IEC material for the public at large in the village
- Child Protection System Wall Painting
- Role and responsibility of VCPC MP3 Song
- Child Protection Flip Chart
3. Tools for VCPC to understand issues and gather information and baseline and further
- Child Protection issue cards to establish village baseline
- Deeper Dive into child protection issues
4. Training manual for trainers of VCPC with more than 30 hours of training sessions.
V. What Language Is The Kit In?
- Films : Marathi with Hindi subtitles
- IEC: Marathi
- Manual for training DCPO/NGO staff to support VCPC : English
We take the opportunity to share the VCPC tool kit for the use of State Governments, and NGOs. Leher offers these resources towards any collaborative initiatives with communities.
For any additional information do write to us at contact@leher.org