A co-implementing children in Contact with Railway Stations-CCRS Project of SEVAI, a Trichy based NGO, Railway children and Trichy Railway Division administer Child Assistance Booth in Trichy Railway Junction.

Functioning for over 22 months now at the busy junction, the Child Assistance Booth, a combined scheme of SEVAI, Railway Children and Tiruchi Railway has rescued several runaway minors found wandering at the station. During 2018 and till date, the Child Assistance Booth has rescued 1528 minors a majority of whom are runaway children. A majority of them are boys and around 10% are girls. The reasons for children leaving their homes have been found to be varied. Interaction with them shows that conflict with parents and teachers, domestic problem, separated parents, lack of parental care and inability to cope with studies are among factors that trigger the fleeing. The Child Assistance Booth has a team of social workers and outreach workers working round-the-clock in three shifts at the junction. While the outreach workers rescue the runaways, the social workers examine the immediate needs of such minors. The rescued minors are brought to the booth and their immediate needs are addressed to put them at ease. Usually, such children are found with a wavering mind engulfed by a sense of anxiety and loneliness. It is for this reason that they are made to feel comfortable through pep talk and handed over to the Government Railway Police or Railway Protection Force as per procedure and from there on to the Child Welfare Committee for initiating further steps, the SEVAI representative said. There have also been instances where the rescued minor has hailed from north Indian States. A proper follow-up is carried out once the children are reunited with their parents under the instructions of the Child Welfare Committee. All efforts are taken to restore the runaway children with their parents after following due procedures. Counseling is provided to the child and parents during the restoration process. If the child is not inclined to stay with the parents, they are given safe shelter to pursue education and constantly motivated to go home. Parents need to understand the sentiments of their child and spend adequate time with them to prevent such tendencies from creeping in the minor a child activist says.-Govin