Child Friendly Police Stations (CFPS)

Child Friendly Police Stations (CFPS): CFPSs are police stations that demonstrate child friendliness in attitude, ambience, infrastructure, procedure and enforcement. They facilitate partnership, function as Knowledge Hubs and perform as strict enforcers of child related laws. After a successful pilot, 110 police stations now are transformed as child friendly police stations in Kerala, after necessary capacity building of the entire police personnel of these stations, through a well organised residential workshop organised in close partnership with UNICEF. 

AIMS & OBJECTIVES OF CAP STATIONS

Child Friendly Police Stations is a CAP initiative to ensure that

• Our children grow up in an atmosphere of affection, protection and care.
• Any abuse or atrocity against a child is investigated promptly and meticulously, and the offenders are brought before law.
• Children at risk are identified at an early age and are nurtured to become capable and responsible citizens of the nation.
• Parents, teachers and society at large are aware about the rights of the children.
• Our children are aware about their rights as well as their duties as responsible citizens of our country.
• Our children travel in safety and comfort.
• No child is engaged in child labor or child beggary
• Our police stations become abodes of justice so that any child, parent or anyone with an issue related to children can confidently approach these stations for support.
• Every child friendly police station will operate on an affection driven - partnership model by strengthening coordination between Government/Non-Government agencies responsible for the care and protection of children and civil society
• Ultimately an invisible wall of protection is created around every child through the active partnership of parents, teachers and society at large

UNIQUE FEATURES OF CAP STATIONS

Child friendly infrastructural arrangements

• A separate space/room to interact with children
• Facility for sitting, toilet and safe drinking water for children
• Child friendly ambience with attractive paintings , drawings, recreational arrangements and so on
• Designated space with facilities to accommodate women comfortably especially feeding mothers
• Information boards with name and contact details of the Child Welfare Officer and other
• Information-Education- Communication materials
• Mini library with books, news dailies, magazines etc to engage children and other people visiting  the station, and books and materials based on the acts and rules related to children

Police personnel with the following child friendly qualities

• Readiness to treat any child visiting the station as his/her own child or someone in his/her kith  and kin
• Safe guarding the best interest of the child in all child related matters
• Respectful of diversity be it age, gender, religion, or caste
• Firm conviction that violence, abuse, exploitation against children is unacceptable
• Unconditional empathy towards a child who is suffering from any form of trauma
• Thorough awareness regarding all acts and rules related to children
• Knowledge about psychological first aid to be provided for children facing issues related to mental distress, depression, suicidal tendency, substance abuse behavioral deviation and so on.
• Police officers dealing with such children should be capable of assessing each child, listening to them non-judgmentally and facilitate expert help in necessary cases.
• Full appreciation of the fact that for a victim, a child or a woman, approaching a police station to register a compliant is a last resort.
• Emphasis on "why" rather than "what" while dealing with children in conflict with law,
• Acknowledges the fact that deviance in children is due to the collective failure of parents, teachers and society including police
• Assuming the role of mentors while dealing with any child in contact with the station (Annexure I&ndash Tips for communicating with children)

Protection and Promotion of Rights of Children

The stations selected for implementing the CAP program will function based on operationalizing the following rights of children emphasized  by UNCRC

• The Right to Survival: Right of every child to live a healthy life where he/she is ensured with basic services like health, nutrition and shelter.
• The Right to Protection: The period of childhood is a phase in which the human being is more vulnerable because they have not finished developing physically or mentally. Furthermore, the child requires a particular attention and protection. Right to protection emphasizes the right of every child to be protected mentally, physically and socially
• The Right to Development: an inalienable human right by virtue of which every child is entitled to participate in, contribute to, and enjoy economic, social, cultural and political development, in  which all human rights and fundamental freedoms can be fully realized.
• The Right to Participation: The right that ensures the process by which children and young people can influence decision-making which affects their lives to bring about positive change