Ahvaan: A Call to Action – National Conference on Aftercare Services

“Ahvaan:
A
Call
to
Action:
National
Conference
on
Aftercare
Services”
was
a
groundbreaking
event
aimed
at
uniting
a
diverse
group
of
stakeholders
involved
in
the
aftercare
ecosystem.
Hosted
by

Catalysts
for
Social
Action
(CSA),
in
partnership
with A
Future
for
Every
Child
(AFEC)
and
UNICEF,
the
conference
gathered
government
agencies,
NGOs,
skill
development
institutions,
and
corporate
partners
for
a
collaborative
exchange
of
knowledge
and
ideas. The
national
conference
was
attended
by
over
130
stakeholders
including
6
government
representatives
and
participants
from
13
states
to
have
a
meaningful
discussion
on
the
state
of
Aftercare
in
India.

Ahvaan
Conference,
hosted
by
CSA,
AFEC,
and
UNICEF,
sparks
collaboration
to
bridge
the
aftercare
gap
to
empower
care
leavers
with
the
support
they
need
for
a
successful
future

Aftercare
services
play
a
vital
role
in
supporting
young
people
who
age
out
of
institutional
care
at
18
(called
‘care
leavers’),
offering
resources
like
higher
education,
vocational
training,
mentorship,
psychosocial
support,
housing,
and
life
skills
training.
However,
it
is
estimated
that
two-thirds
of
care
leavers
are
unaware
of
these
services,
and
only
a
small
fraction
access
comprehensive
aftercare
programs.
Without
such
support,
they
face
risks
including
poverty,
unemployment,
and
homelessness.

This
conference
marks
the
first
time
that
four
key
NGOs—CSA,
AFEC,
Udayan
Care,
and
Sevalaya—have
come
together
under
a
shared
theory
of
change
to
address
the
aftercare
gap.
CSA’s
Aftercare
Program
with
over
2500
Care
Leavers
is
one
of
the
largest
in
the
country
and
is
running
in
five
states
and
60+
districts.
Through
years
of
implementation
on
the
ground
the
program
has
incorporated
learnings
on
how
to
make
it
effective
in
terms
of
measurable
outcomes.
It
also
leverages
technology,
HR
processes
and
partnerships
to
make
the
program
scalable.

Vipul
Jain,
Co-founder
of
CSA,
stated, “We
have
been
working
on
our
Aftercare
Program
for
the
last
five
years
and
believe
it
is
the
largest
program
in
the
country
with
an
annual
enrolment
of
600+.
It
is
also
cost
efficient,
effective
and
scalable.
We
are
co-hosting
this
conference
to
share
our
program
design,
implementation
methodology,
and
learnings
with
all
stakeholders.
We
hope
that
this
will
spark
more
conversations
about
the
cause
of
Aftercare
Services
and
kickstart
collective
and
collaborative
action.” 

By
fostering
knowledge
exchange
and
partnerships
between
government
bodies,
NGOs,
skill
development
institutions,
and
corporate
partners,
the
conference
was
an
attempt
to
create
a
unified
approach
to
aftercare.
It
is
only
through
such
collaborations
that
scalable
solutions
can
be
developed
to
ensure
every
care
leaver
receives
the
support
they
deserve.

Key
highlights
of
the
event
included
a
UNICEF
representative
discussing
policy
frameworks
and
challenges
in
aftercare
services.

Sanjay
Singh,
Chief
of
Field
Office,
UNICEF
Maharashtra,
said,
“UNICEF
India’s
commitment
to
its
#3Cs4EveryChild
approach
–
Convene,
Converge
and
Catalyse,
particularly
in
aftercare,
is
focused
on
empowering
care
leavers
as
they
transition
into
adulthood.
Through
Convening,
UNICEF
India
brings
together
diverse
stakeholders—governments,
NGOs,
youth
networks,
and
the
private
sector—to
create
a
supportive
ecosystem
for
care
leavers.
Converging
efforts
across
sectors,
aligns
key
actors
to
ensure
coordinated
action
on
critical
issues
like
education,
skill
development,
and
mental
health
for
these
vulnerable
youth.
By
catalysing
policy
dialogue
and
directly
engaging
care
leavers,
UNICEF
sparks
awareness
and
drives
collective
action
to
support
their
transition,
ensuring
they
are
equipped
with
the
opportunities
and
resources
to
thrive
independently.”

The
conference
also
featured
three
panel
discussions:
Voice
of
Care
Leavers,
focusing
on
the
challenges
faced
by
care
leavers
and
the
need
for
improved
awareness
and
access
to
aftercare
services;

Convergence
and
Partnerships
–
Building
an
Effective
Aftercare
Ecosystem,
exploring
how
collaboration
among
stakeholders
can
create
a
robust
support
system;

Experiences
and
Perspectives
of
Government
Functionaries
from
Karnataka,
Chhattisgarh,
Odisha, Madhya
Pradesh
and
Maharashtra
was
a
key
panel
to
learn
from;
and

Mission
2030
–
Scaling
Aftercare
Services
to
Reach
All
Care
Leavers,
addressing
the
scaling
of
aftercare
services
nationwide
to
all
care
leavers.
Additionally,
two
key
papers
were
released:

Effective,
Scalable
Aftercare
Models
by
Gita
Gopal,
Co-Founder
of
AFEC,
and

From
Strategy
to
Implementation
by
CSA,
providing
critical
insights
into
the
Aftercare
Program
that
CSA
has
been
implementing. 

Gita
Gopal,
Co-founder
of
AFEC,
shared, “We
are
at
a
pivotal
moment
where
collaborative
efforts
can
create
a
lasting
impact
on
the
lives
of
care
leavers.
Through
collective
action,
we
can
build
an
effective,
sustainable
and
scalable
aftercare
system
that
ensures
no
young
adult
is
left
behind.”

About
Catalysts
for
Social
Action 

Catalysts
for
Social
Action
(CSA)
is
an
Indian
NGO
that
works
towards
addressing
the
unique
needs
of
children
in
the
Juvenile
Justice
system.
Positioned
at
various
stages
in
the
continuum
of
care—whether
it
is
family-based
alternative
care,
institutional
care,
or
Aftercare—CSA
is
committed
to
ensuring
that
every
child
or
young
adult
has
the
opportunity
to
find
a
loving
family
or
get
family-like
care.
The
organisation
envisions
a
future
where
every
vulnerable
child
can
develop
into
a
confident
individual,
lead
a
fulfilling
life
and
be
a
contributing
member
of
society.

CSA
has
been
working
for
over
20+
years,
and
is
active
in
5
states
–
Maharashtra,
Orissa,
Madhya
Pradesh,
Karnataka
and
Goa.
It
supports
110
Child
Care
Institutions
to
create
better
outcomes
in
terms
of
health,
nutrition,
education
and
life
skills
for
over
5000
children
living
in
these
homes.
CSA’s
Aftercare
Program
is
probably
the
largest
in
the
country
with
over
2500+
Care
Leavers.
CSA
also
does
research,
training,
advisory
and
policy
implementation
in
all
aspects
of
the
Child
Protection
space.

About
A
Future
for
Every
Child 

A
Future
for
Every
Child
(AFEC)
is
a
US-based
non-profit
founded
in
2019
by
adoptive
parents
Gita
and
Madan
Gopal.
With
a
mission
to
support
the
journey
of
orphaned
and
vulnerable
youth
to
adulthood,
AFEC
has
been
unwavering
in
its
focus
on
assisting
care
leavers—youth
aging
out
of
institutional
care—to
transition
successfully
to
independence.

Since
its
inception,
AFEC
has
emerged
as
a
thought
leader,
defining
an
effective
and
scalable
aftercare
program
for
care
leavers
and
pioneering
comprehensive
data
collection
to
drive
continuous
program
improvement.
Collaborating
with
trusted
partners
to
implement
the
program
across
India,
AFEC
has
supported
approximately
1,500
care
leavers
over
the
past
five
years.

Guided
by
the
vision
of
empowering
every
care
leaver
to
build
a
brighter
future,
AFEC
remains
committed
to
expanding
its
reach
and
impact
in
the
years
to
come.