Sakthi-Vidiyal is committed for the cause of ensuring justice for children and safeguarding their rights.
Recognition under the Juvenile Justice system
In the year 2004, Sakthi – Vidiyal was recognized under section 37 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) Act 2000 to run the Reception Home to house children in need of care and protection. This home has a capacity for 50 children. Boys and girls are housed in separate campuses.
This was an honour as well a wonderful opportunity to serve those children coming under the purview of Juvenile Justice System in India. Street children, vagabonds, runaway children, missing children, begging children, and abandoned children are brought to us for care and protection. Children from varied backgrounds were sent to us by Police, Childline, various courts including the Madras High Court (Madurai Bench) and the Madurai district administration for care and protection. Mentally retarded children who are thrown on the streets and infants with special needs are also admitted for specialised care. These children are placed in our reception home only by an order from the Child Welfare Committee.
The Child Welfare Committee functions in our premises and initiates the process of rehabilitation for the children brought under the Juvenile Justice system. We do an assessment of the needs of these children; provide them with basic needs and counselling immediately after admitting them in the home. A probation officer is appointed by the Government who attempts to trace their backgrounds and whereabouts and a rehabilitation plan is made for each child. A few children are reunited with their families whereas some children go into institutional care for long term rehabilitation. These children are given extra care since their traumatic experiences haunt them at times. So far we have done 822 home placements (Boys 518 and Girls 304) and 256 institutional placements (Boys 164 and Girls 92).