“Current Aftercare Practices” (CAP) is a research study conducted in the State of Delhi, and is part of a multistate study conducted in Karnataka, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Maharashtra. The CAP study is an Udayan Care initiative, supported and funded by UNICEF, Tata Trusts and other partners; and is based on the premise that every child who leaves an Alternative Care setting on completing 18 years of age (or becomes a ‘Care Leaver’, ‘CL’ hereafter) needs extended support in the form of Aftercare. The CAP study gathers evidence through a scientific data collection process, consolidates knowledge and promising practices, and discusses gaps and challenges from multi-stakeholders’ perspective. At various stages, the study has employed participatory methods to incorporate the voices of CLs and critical feedback from key stakeholders and experts.
Udayan Care has developed a conceptual and analytical framework, called, the ‘Sphere of Aftercare’, drawing from its experience in child protection, the extensive literature review undertaken, and the findings of the pilot study it conducted in Delhi (2017). This ‘Sphere of Aftercare’ comprehensively identifies eight different domains of Aftercare, those being: affordable and adequate housing, independent living skills, interpersonal skills and social relationships, mental and emotional wellbeing, physical health, financial independence and career, education and vocational skills and identity and legal awareness. The CAP study is designed to look at the support and services received by CLs from the objective lens of an ‘Aftercare Quality Index’(AQI), calculated by using the scores within each of these eight domains.
The report covers a total of 55 CLs from Delhi, comprising of 30 males and 25 females, from both Government and NGO-run Child Care Institutions (CCIs). It also includes data from 10 stakeholders, which includes experts, practitioners and duty bearers, working in the field of child protection in Delhi. Although, much is happening on Aftercare in the State, there are many areas where we, as duty-bearers, need to rise to the call to meet the aspirations of the CLs.
