CHENNAI: Employees of the District Child Protection Units (DCPUs) across Tamil Nadu submitted a representation to Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, urging his intervention to strengthen child protection services and ensure the welfare of staff working in the sector.
The employees work under the Department of Children Welfare and Special Services (DCWSS), which is responsible for safeguarding children from abuse, preventing child marriage, eliminating child labour, rescuing children engaged in begging, and supporting the rehabilitation of children in conflict with the law.
Highlighting several challenges they face in implementing child protection measures under the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015, the staff pointed out that many district child protection offices, Juvenile Justice Boards, and Child Welfare Committees (CWC) continue to function from rented buildings or government buildings with inadequate space. They also noted the lack of dedicated vehicles to respond quickly to emergency cases involving children.
Among their key demands is the establishment of fully equipped temporary shelters for affected children in every district. These facilities should have access to counsellors, doctors, special educators, and all essential services.
They also urged the government to set up special rehabilitation homes in every district for children below 18 years who come into conflict with the law, ensuring proper care and rehabilitation opportunities for the minors.
The petition further called for financial assistance to be extended to all eligible children under the department's care, stating that current support is insufficient and reaches only a limited number of beneficiaries.
To strengthen child protection at the grassroots level, they recommended expanding the activities of child protection committees at the village, block, municipal, and corporation levels. They also sought the appointment of additional child protection officers at the block level to improve outreach and rehabilitation efforts.
A major concern raised by the employees relates to their employment conditions. According to them, the DCPU staff have been working on annual contract appointments since 2012. Despite serving for more than 14 years in child welfare activities, they do not receive benefits such as job security, accident insurance, or retirement-related welfare measures, they said.
They appealed to the Chief Minister to regularise their services, provide permanent employment, and introduce welfare benefits. They argued that improving the working conditions of child protection personnel would ultimately strengthen child protection systems across the State.