CHILD CARE INSTITUTIONS AND HUMAN CAPITAL FORMATION IN DELHI: REHABILITATIVE FRAMEWORKS TOWARDS VIKSIT BHARAT 2047

Abstract

Delhi’s child care institutions (CCIs) shelter a significant cohort of vulnerable youths who represent future human capital. This review analyzes India’s child welfare framework – including the Juvenile Justice (JJ) Act 2015 (amended 2021), the Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS), and Mission Vatsalya (2021) – and recent CCI data. It also reviews studies on institutional care and trauma-informed practice. We find that while Delhi’s CCIs typically meet children’s basic needs (shelter, food, schooling), notable gaps persist in emotional/psychosocial support, individualized rehabilitation, vocational training, and aftercare[1][2]. To evaluate outcomes, we outline a mixed-methods study: quantitative surveys of children’s education, health and psychosocial status, and qualitative interviews with caregivers and youth. Proposed outcome measures include literacy levels, nutritional/health indices, mental well-being (e.g. SDQ scores) and life skills attainment. Key recommendations are: enforce and regularly update Individual Care Plans for every child, integrate regular trauma-counseling and mental health services, align CCI education/vocational programmes with national skill policies (e.g. NEP 2020), and strengthen monitoring by authorities. These reforms align with India’s Viksit Bharat 2047 vision of inclusive growth, helping CCIs become developmental platforms that nurture children as “the most vital reservoir of future human capital”[3].

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