Railway Children India

Railway Children India is a child rights organisation working to protect children who are vulnerable, abandoned, or living on the streets, particularly those connected to railway stations and transport hubs. Established in India in partnership with the global Railway Children network, the organisation works alongside government agencies, the Indian Railways, Child Welfare Committees and local partners to ensure that children at risk are identified early, protected from abuse and exploitation and reunited with their families whenever it is safe to do so.

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The organisation believes that every child deserves a safe childhood and access to protection, education and opportunities to thrive. Rather than only responding to crises, Railway Children India focuses on preventing children from ending up on the streets by strengthening families, improving child protection systems and building the capacity of frontline professionals. Its work spans rescue and rehabilitation, family strengthening, education, livelihoods, child safeguarding and systems change, creating long-term solutions for children and young people across India.

Major Areas of Work

• Child Protection: Identifying, rescuing and protecting children at risk of abuse, neglect, trafficking and exploitation.
• Family Strengthening: Supporting vulnerable families with counselling, social protection and livelihood interventions to prevent family separation.
• Education & Reintegration: Helping children return to school, access vocational training and rebuild stable lives.
• Anti-Trafficking: Working with law enforcement and child protection agencies to prevent child trafficking and exploitation.
• Systems Strengthening: Building the capacity of railway personnel, police, government departments and child protection professionals to improve responses for vulnerable children.
• Youth Development: Supporting adolescents and young people with life skills, employability and pathways to independent living.

Major Initiatives & Programmes

• Railway Station Child Protection Programme: Identifying children at risk across railway stations and connecting them with immediate care and protection services.
• Family Strengthening Programme: Working with families through counselling, financial inclusion and livelihood support to reduce the risks that force children onto the streets.
• Child Protection in Communities: Creating child-friendly communities by working with schools, local governments and community organisations to identify and support vulnerable children.
• Skills & Employability Initiatives: Providing vocational training, career guidance and life skills for adolescents transitioning to independent adulthood.
• Capacity Building for Stakeholders: Training railway staff, police officers, Child Welfare Committees, teachers and community workers on child safeguarding and child rights.
• Research & Advocacy: Collaborating with governments and sector partners to improve child protection policies, strengthen safeguarding systems and promote evidence-based interventions.

Impact

• More than two decades of work protecting vulnerable children in India.
• Supports children and families across multiple states through partnerships with Indian Railways, government departments and civil society organisations.
• Thousands of children have been reunited with their families or connected to long-term care and protection services.
• Trained thousands of railway personnel, police officers and child protection professionals to identify and respond to children at risk.
• Strengthened community-based child protection systems to reduce family separation, trafficking and exploitation.

Railway Children India offers professionals the opportunity to work directly with vulnerable children, families, government institutions and frontline service providers to strengthen child protection systems across the country. Employees contribute to programmes that combine emergency response, prevention, policy advocacy and community development to create lasting change for children.

Railway Children India is an excellent fit for professionals passionate about child rights, child protection, social work, safeguarding, education, youth development and building systems that ensure every child grows up in a safe and supportive environment.