This research mapping the long term outcomes of institutional care on children in India was undertaken by Make A Difference; a non-profit working with children in need of care and protection (CNCP) across 23 cities in India with the long term aim of driving transformative life outcomes on par with middle class for all children in care.
Approximately 35m children are estimated to fall into the CNCP category, with nearly half a million registered in institutional care and potentially half a million more in institutions that are yet to register as per the 2015 amendment to the Juvenile Justice (JJ) Act, which is still only slowly percolating into local awareness.
The goal of this research was to challenge or validate the assumptions that underpin existing impact and change focused solutions; to combat the complete dearth of data and lack of meaningful information available in the sector about the longer term effects of institutional care on children in India; and to enable programmes both within and outside of Make A Difference to be designed on the back of benchmarked and trackable outcomes.
