Looking after our ‘Perpetual children' (A Perspective of a Common Man) - Article by P. Sai Krithika.

Looking after our ‘Perpetual children' - A Perspective of a Common Man

 

India has numerous states. There are numerous languages. There are numerous castes and tribes... as well as numerous issues. Each of these groups is very vocal in voicing their concerns and making their voices heard. However, there is a segment of our society that is easily dismissed as unimportant. A group that requires the most assistance in our society and, indeed, throughout the world.

The children with special needs...all 7864636 of them. And this number does not include the 'special adults'. When a special child is born into a family, the parents are completely taken aback. Even when the child grows into an adult, the shock remains.

"What will become of the child once we fade away?" is the question that looms over their heads like a sword. In our country, the situation of adult special needs people is pathetic. There is no formal strategy in place to deal with these individuals. These children are considered to be the responsibility of their elderly parents. Now or else, there are old age homes in every city where they can admit themselves. 

However, special children do not know to demand that someone look after them if their parents become incapacitated. They have no idea whether there are homes that will look after them, how to choose one where they will not be ill-treated or abused, how to report abuse if it occurs, and so on.

Is there any hope for this voiceless segment of our society? Can we, who have made a name for ourselves around the world for our intelligence and knowledge, use these qualities to help the unfortunate? Can we, who come from the land of dharma and the oneness of all souls, find compassion and dharma in ourselves to provide solutions to their plight? I was able to come up with a few ideas that may help them solve their problem. They are as follows:

GROUP HOUSINGS:

Children in a colony can live in flats that are carefully grouped according to the degree of their disability. Caregivers may be appointed to look after their needs. Some of the children's relatives, members of the special school they attended, members of the colony's association, and a government official will supervise the carers and the children. 

The funding for this will have to come from the parents, who will be advised to start saving for their child's education and marriage as soon as possible. The government may contribute some funding and assist by keeping a close eye on these "perpetual children" on their conscience.

FOSTER CARE

This system is used with some success in countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom. Special children are placed for adoption by carefully selected individuals who are then compensated for their efforts and strictly supervised.

In our country, we can also find foster parents for these children and pay them with family savings supplemented by government contributions.

However, foster parents must meet certain requirements, such as:

1. They must be physically and mentally fit.
2. They must submit to a thorough examination of their nature and willingness.
3. A background check, similar to that required for parents wishing to adopt a child, must be performed.
4. They must live in a colony and submit to daily supervision from appointed colony members as well as monthly visits from government officials. If ill-treatment or abuse on their part is proven, the officer in question must be charged with failing to perform his duties properly. We must remember that the victim has no voice in this situation.
5. Each foster parent may 'adopt' more than one child with similar intelligence and disability levels.
6. Foster parents must be carefully chosen in the case of special' children or people with severe disabilities.
7. Compensation must be proportionate to the disabilities of the children they propose to care for in all cases.

THESE CHILDREN/PEOPLE LIVE IN SMALL COMMUNITIES:

Small communities for these people may be established in various parts of a city. A community is typically made up of small houses clustered together, each with a hall, a dining room, a kitchen, and a few bathrooms. Up to five special children can be placed in each dwelling with a caretaker who will act as their 'parent'. The community can provide a centralized kitchen, common staff to look after the children's personal needs, and common activities for the special inmates to enjoy or learn from.

Those special children who can work and earn money can be safely commented to and from their workplace. Their working conditions must always be monitored by community officials, who will be on the lookout for any signs of bullying, harassment, or abuse. Relatives of the special person' can be consulted on the best way to use their earnings, with a portion going to the community, a portion invested in their names, and a portion kept for personal expenses.

These communities must be governed by a prominent charitable institution, the activities of which will be overseen by a committed group of noble-minded volunteers, relatives of these people, and government officials.

SPECIAL SCHOOLS THAT INCLUDE A HOSTEL:

Special schools can be granted licenses to operate a hostel in addition to the school. The idea is that students will be kept in their hostels as long as relatives can pay for their stay.

However, it must be established that; 

These schools and hostels do not become prisons for these children/people.

When the children leave their homes, their relatives may 'abandon' them in the hostels.

As a result, children who are accepted here must pay a substantial deposit, with the interest used to meet their needs. Where necessary, the government may increase the amounts. Because these hostels will be attached to a school, the children / special people will be able to participate in school activities and form relationships with other children. This is extremely beneficial to parents and teachers. Strict supervision, as outlined in the other options above, must never be compromised.

 

REWARDING CARER RELATIVES:

Finally, we must consider the possibility of a relative, such as a sister or brother, willingly and lovingly caring for the 'Special' sibling. The government must compensate them in cash, possibly through tax reductions/waivers. They must also be publicly recognized each year, with the best among them chosen and awarded EVERY YEAR. The encouragement and recognition must be so powerful that many people are inspired to care for their special relatives rather than abandon or mistreat them.

Finally, we must recognize that special' people are God's children. Who will reflect us the level of kindness, humanity, and conscience we have as descendants of a proven civilization. We can all be nice to beautiful people, wealthy people, and educated and intelligent people. But how we treat special people, who are neither wealthy nor intelligent, reveals whether we are heroes or villains beneath our polished exteriors. Our nations will be truly great, our people will be truly kind, and our heritage will be truly magnificent. Noble, if the most unfortunate of us all, the country's 'Special' people, are truly well cared for.

                                                              

                                                                   Jai Hind!

- The above Article is Written by P. Sai Krithika (B.Com LL.B (Hons) - II Year SRM School of Law).