Section 20 in The Maharashtra Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Rules, 2002
20. Reception Unit.
- This is a general intake procedure applicable to all institutions.(1)There shall be a Reception Unit in each Observation home, Special Home and Children's Home under the charge of a Child Welfare Officer or a Social Worker.(2)Every new child who is brought to home, shall immediately be taken charge of by the counsellor or Child Welfare Officer or designated officer, as the case may be.(3)The child shall be received with due care as provided under these rules, with dignity and love.(4)A brief orientation shall be given to the child on induction, to remove any inhibition from the mind of the child or juvenile.(5)A child shall be immediately given a bath, clothing, food etc., and medically examined.(6)The designated officer shall enter the name of the child in the admission register and allocate appropriate accommodation facility.(7)The photograph shall also be taken immediately for records and the case worker shall begin the investigation and correspondence with the person the child might have named.(8)The Officer-in-charge shall see that the personal belongings of every child received by the home is kept in safe custody and recorded in the Personal Belonging Register and the items shall be returned to the child or returned when he leaves the home.(9)The girl child shall be searched by a female member of the staff, and with due regard to decency.(10)The following procedure shall also be followed in respect of the newly admitted children in the reception unit:-(a)Receiving and search of the child.(b)Hair-cut if required (unless prohibited by religion), and issue of toiletry items.(c)Disinfecting and storing of a child's personal belongings and other valuables.(d)Bath.(e)Issue of new set of clothes, bedding and other outfit and equipment (as per rules and scales).(f)Medical examination and treatment, were necessary and in in case of any juvenile suspected to be suffering from contagious or infectious diseases, mental ailment, addiction etc. he he shall be immediately segregated in specially earmarked dormitories or wards or hospitals;(g)Attending to immediate and urgent needs of the child's like appearing in examination, interview letter to parent or parent, personal problem etc.;(h)Verification by the Office-in-Charge of the order of the Board or the Committee, identification marks of the child, entries in the register, cash and other valuables etc.(i)Orientation of the child to the environment of the home and his rights.(j)The officer shall work towards building a rapport with the child and encourage the child to speak about his whereabouts. Counselling and such other facilities shall be provided to the child.(11)Every institution shall follow a schedule of orientation in the Reception Unit for the newly admitted child covering the following aspects, namely :-(a)Health and hygiene.(b)Institutional discipline, standards of expected behaviour, respect for elders, teachers etc.(c)Self-improvement opportunities.(d)Orientation of Child Rights and the responsibility of the child to ensure the rights within the frame of institution.(e)Duties, responsibilities and obligation during their period of stay.(f)Participatory role of children in the institutional activities.(12)A case history of the child admitted to an institution shall be maintained which may contain information regarding his socio-cultural and economic background and these information may invariably be collected through all possible and available sources, including home, parents or guardians, employer, school, friends and community.(13)The education level and vocational aptitude of the child admitted may be assessed on the basis of test and interview conducted by the teacher, the workshop supervisor and other technical staff and necessary linkages may also be established with outside specialists and community based welfare, agencies, psychologist, psychiatrist, child guidance clinic, hospital and local doctors, open school, Jan Sikshan Sansthan etc. A resource directory may be prepared and placed in each institution.(14)All residents in the institution shall be given work like-(i)self-help in maintaining their own establishment.(ii)Cleaning of open spaces, gardening, etc.(iii)Preliminary operations for crafts.(15)A well conceived programme of pre-release planning and follow up of cases discharged from special homes shall be organised in all institutions in close collaboration with existing governmental and voluntary welfare organizations.(16)Every home or institutions shall have the services of a trained counsellor.
