Project Aashiyana: Creating an enabling ecosystem to secure children’s right to Family- Based Care
Launched in June 2022, Project Aashiyana, a key initiative of the Transform NEEV Collective, is dedicated to strengthening community-based child protection systems in urban communities across Mumbai Suburban and Thane districts. Supporting over 1,500 at-risk children from socio-economically underserved families, the project seeks to prevent unnecessary family separations and ensures institutional care is used only as a last resort.
Drawing from Prerana's decades of experience working with marginalized children, Aashiyana tackles critical child protection challenges such as:
• Limited access to education and school retention
• Lack of mental health services
• Gaps in community child protection systems
The program also addresses vulnerabilities stemming from exposure to violence, psycho-social challenges, and inadequate adult supervision.
Our Approach
At the core of Aashiyana’s mission is a case management approach, which provides personalized and comprehensive support for children and their families. Through individual assessments and tailored intervention plans, the initiative ensures solutions are designed to meet specific needs, risks, and vulnerabilities, while actively involving families in decision-making.
Recognizing families as the cornerstone of a child's development, Aashiyana emphasizes family strengthening initiatives by:
• Offering psycho-social support
• Linking families to livelihood opportunities
• Facilitating access to social security schemes
• Promoting positive parenting practices
Through collaboration with families and communities, Aashiyana promotes family-based alternative care and advocates for community-led childcare services, ensuring children thrive in safe, nurturing, and equitable environments.
Core Activities
Project Aashiyana focuses on empowering children and strengthening families through:
◦ Children’s Collectives - Encouraging children to voice their concerns and address issues affecting them and their communities.
◦ Temporary Sponsorship - Offering financial assistance to children at risk of harm.
◦ Stakeholder Coordination - Collaborating with key child protection stakeholders to establish robust safety nets for children.
◦ Establishing & running Safe Spaces - Creating secure community-based centers for children to grow and thrive.
◦ Psycho-Social Support - Offering support to children and caregivers to navigate family dynamics and mitigate harm caused by violence within communities.
◦ Access to Social Security - Helping families obtain essential documents and linking them to government welfare schemes.
◦ Education Support - Promoting school retention and providing remedial education to enhance academic outcomes.
Through its holistic approach, Project Aashiyana ensures that every child has the opportunity to grow in a nurturing, protective, and empowering environment while reinforcing family and community systems to secure their rights and dignity.