PACT is delighted and honored to announce that our groundbreaking initiative of establishing a model inclusive Child Care Institution (CCI) has been officially inaugurated at Government Shishu Mandir on January 26th, 2024. We had the privilege of hosting esteemed guests, Smt. Yamuna, the District Child Welfare Officer of Bangalore, and Smt. Bharathi Devi, the District Child Protection Officer of Bangalore Central. This marks the inauguration of our very first model Inclusive CCI.

While working, we came to realize that children with special needs receives the same care and protection as normal children, such as food, shelter, and clothing. However, these children require much more than that. They need specialized services that will enable them to become more independent and lead fulfilling lives in the future. Without these services, they may not be able to integrate into mainstream society like other children. Therefore, it is crucial for childcare institutes to become more inclusive and provide rehabilitation services for children with special needs, addressing their physical, mental, and social needs. This is why our organization, PACT, took the initiative to create a model within our premises and partnered with a childcare institute to allow them to experience this inclusive approach for over 15 months. Various childcare institutes and children specialists brought their children to receive rehabilitation services at our center. Through this, we sensitized the heads and caregivers of these childcare institutes, as well as government officials, about the importance of setting up inclusive care within their own institutes. PACT will continue to provide rehabilitation services so that children with special needs do not have to go to different centers for their needs. This is how it all began. One of the points mentioned in the section 53 of chapter 5 in JJ Act is that ‘all children should receive necessary services, especially within the shelter they are staying in’. We have built our services based on this principle. Currently, we are in the process of setting up rehabilitation centers in various childcare institutes. Our goal is to establish 15 such institutes within the first year, starting now.

On this momentous occasion, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Karnataka Government, the heads of CCIs, and the dedicated PACT Team for their invaluable support in turning this dream into a reality. We would also like to express our deepest appreciation to the ADHYAN Foundation and the Living My Promise Foundation for their unwavering support.

However, this is just the beginning. We firmly believe in the coming years, we can transform a greater number of CCIs into inclusive spaces where no child is left unnoticed.