Support for Bal Chetna centre for 40 mentally challenged children at Sultanpuri, Delhi

Bal Chetna (literally meaning Ray of Hope) is DCCW’s programme for the rehabilitation of mentally challenged children in Delhi, India. It was established in 2002 as a residential and day care facility in response to a growing number of mentally challenged children being abandoned at our children’s home PALNA. The day care programme at Bal Chetna grew out of the discovery made by our crèche workers of the many children with mental and multiple disabilities living in slums and resettlement colonies not getting the care and attention they needed. Today Bal Chetna looks after around 150 mentally challenged children at our 3 day care centres at Nithari, Sultanpuri, Janakpuri in Delhi, and at residential facility at Palna which is a home for abandoned children. The Bal Chetna Day Care Outreach Centres are located in the heart of Delhi’s poorest neighbourhoods providing much-needed therapy to special needs children who have almost no other recourse to medical and paramedical facilities. Each centre looks after approximately 30-40 children. The children suffer from various ailments -Cerebral Palsy, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Mental retardation, Downs’ Syndrome, Language and Speech Delay.

 Muscular Dystrophy

The centre provides the necessary therapies to mentally challenged children to make them as self-reliant as their condition permits (through language, cognitive and social development) in activities of daily living and where possible, to teach them income-generating skills & activities. We also provide training, guidance and counseling to parents of special needs children regarding the care of their children. We also run an Initiative on health and nutrition: Monitor health of the children and provide special diet / nutrition as required, with additional medication and supplements to build up their hemoglobin and weight in particular. Where possible, the children are taught simple skills, to enable them to make handmade envelopes, paper bags, ‘rakhis (decorative wrist bands)’ and garlands, book/note pads binding. The parents are guided on how to source raw materials for these products and on how to sell the end products

Each centre has trained physiotherapists, special educator, speech therapist, counselors and caregivers to work with the 40 children at Sultanpuri. The parents are encouraged to visit the centre and see what therapies are being done to enable them to learn and practise with their child at home.

The impact is gradual but very encouraging.

• Acceptance of these special needs children by their families,

• Encouraging them to participate in their normal activities,

• Raising the child’s self esteem by encouraging the child to learn a skill and becoming a contributing member of the family

• Encouraging parents not to abandon their children.

We have several of our children who have started attending school. Our success stories are posted on our website www.dccw.org