• A Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Care and Protection of Children in Street Situations for their rehabilitation and safeguarding was released by Minister for Women & Child Development.
• The SOP aims at streamlining the interventions within the current legal and policy framework.
• The purpose of the SOP is to identify processes that should be set in motion once a child on the street has been identified as a child in need.
• These processes would be within the existing framework of rules and policies and would create a convergence of the various agencies.
• Besides it also provides a step-by-step guideline for all the stakeholders for care, protection and rehabilitation of these children.
• This initiative will help the Government to ensure that health education and protection mechanisms are made available to children living on the streets.

Need for Standard Operating Procedure:

• Children living in the streets are among the most vulnerable groups. Most of these children have little or no adult supervision and protection.
• They also do not have access to education and basic health care living a life of struggle for survival.
• The lack of basic care and protection exposes them to abuse, exploitation and neglect depriving them of the most basic human rights.
• Cities in India are witnessing rapid urbanization. By 2030, 40% of India’s population is expected to be living in urban areas which mean that child population in streets will continue to grow.
• Therefore, it is important to integrate the needs of children in street situations into urban policies and planning.