|  Delhi
Council for Child Welfare (DCCW) and Smile Foundation
have come together to run outreach daycare programme
for children of special needs at three centres in Delhi.
The programme named
‘Bal Chetna’ is providing support to Mentally
Retarded Children.
About The
Project
The Smile supported
outreach daycare programme ‘Bal Chetna’
for mentally challenged children are being run in three
locations of Delhi namely Sultanpuri, Nangloi and New
Seemapuri.
Bal Chetna is DCCW’s
Respite Home and Day Care facility for mentally challenged
children. The children are divided into groups according
to the level of their disability as well as on the basis
of their IQ (Intelligence Quotient). These groups follow
different schedule with activities designed to suit
their individual skills and abilities
Services
at Bal Chetna Centres for Beneficiaries:
Ø Physiotherapy/
Occupational Therapy
Ø Speech Therapy
Ø Music Therapy/ Play therapy
Ø Special Education
Ø Vocational Training
Ø Psychological Evaluation
Ø Yoga
Ø Parents meeting and Counseling
Ø Home Training programme
Ø Midday Meal and Supplementary Nutrition
Ø A Dream Garden with a make-believe zoo, milk
booth, traffic signal, bus stop and a fruit and vegetable
vending booth, to expose the children to the activities
and features of the life in the city as well as to nature.
Every year many
children are integrated into mainstream schools and
institutes for regular schooling as well as advanced
vocational training. Special educators monitor their
progress and remains in touch with the teacher and parents
of the children. A total of 130 children, in the age
group (0-8 year) reside at PALNA (an Adoption Home of
DCCW) and around 120 staff members and three resident
doctors are dedicated to the care of these needy inmates.
The resident
doctors work under the supervision of a senior consultant
and a panel of specialist comprising a Psychologist,
a Dentist, and an Eye Specialist. PALNA also has physiotherapist,
nurses, housekeeper, and maids to tend to the children’s
needs.
About the
Partner
 Delhi
Council for Child Welfare (DCCW) a registered society
was established in 1952 to aid and care for thousand
of children in New Delhi who had been displaced during
the riots during partition of the subcontinent. Since
its inception DCCW has tried to encompass all the areas
where children needed a help and support. The crèche
programme was initiated in 1975 to provide day care
facilities for underprivileged children. The Anganwadi
programme which has been running since 1976 to educate
women in rural areas and urban slums on the basics of
maternity and child care, nutrition, hygiene and child
rearing. In June 1987, DCCW launched Mobile Orthopedic
Programme, and an Orthopedic Center was set up in 1991.
Bal Chetna was established in July 2002, to support
mentally handicapped children from underprivileged families.
Over the years DCCW’s Programmes
have evolved to meet the need of the underprivileged
children of Delhi and surrounding areas.
Various Programmes and
Facilities
Crèche
Programme - A total of 1500 children, in the
age group 0-5 year attend the Council’s crèches
everyday where they are looked after, given non-formal
education, pre-school lesson and also nutritious meals.
The Orthopedic
Centre – Facilities like Corrective Surgery, physiotherapy
and occupational therapy, provision of aids, vocational
training and library.
Bal Chetna
- The services at Bal Chetna include physiotherapy /
occupational therapy, music, play therapy, special education,
speech therapy, vocational training, home training programme,
supplementary nutrition and yoga.
PALNA
– Has a team of doctors, nurse and trained caregivers,
a panel of pediatricians, doctors, physiotherapists
and child psychologists monitor the health and development
of the children.
Anganwadi
Worker – The workers are trained to disseminate
information to village women on the importance of breast
feeding, immunization and the handling of diseases such
as cholera, typhoid, malaria etc.
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