Introduction The National Centre for Children’s Training and Counselling Services, which comes under the purview of the Department of Probation and Child Care Services has been established to give remedial treatment and vocational training for girl child victims of various forms of abuse. This National Centre, established on 18th July 2000, is the only centre of that nature in Sri Lanka.

• Minimization of afflicted mentality of orphaned, destitute and abandoned girl children.
• Provision of counselling service to girl children subject to sexual abuse, employed as domestic servants, married at low age and subject to other forms of abuse, left in the lurch and dishonest, stubborn as well as those of aggressive behaviour.
• Creation of mental growth required for socialization
• Build self-confidence in them
• Implementation of family counselling for families of resident children
• Minimization of abnormal behaviour
• Bringing the aggressive behaviour under control
• Build relationship with the family unit
• Giving an opportunity for children to have dealings with the outside world
• Offering them, requisite vocational training
• Under this programme, training is given in various fields like sewing, knitting, handicraft, beauty culture, painting etc.
• Giving Non-formal education
• Imparting literacy to those who do not have literacy, by special education activities
• Educating (those who are in school going age)under relevant school syllabus and making necessary arrangements to send them to schools after leaving the centre.
• Creation of spiritual development in them
• Teaching aesthetic subjects. Under this programme subjects like, Music, Dancing, Art and drawing are taught as a technique of healing mental disorder.

Admission of Children to the centre for training
In admitting children for the training, the following have to be taken into consideration.

• They should be girls under 18 years of age
• Only those who really need counselling are admitted
• Girl children with no cases pending, are preferred
• In case there is a case pending in counts, the guardian should undertake the responsibility of taking her to courts and bring back her to the centre
• They should not be mentally retarded
• In case of school children, they are admitted for training only for a period of 1 or 02 months.

Applications for admission have to be made in application form, given free of charge, to be obtained from the nearest Divisional Secretariat. Office. Duly filled applications giving all the particulars, have to be submitted to the Commissioner of Probation and Children Care Services, through the Child Rights Promoting Officers attached to the D.S. Office or the Probation Officer attached to Provincial Commissioner of Probation and Children Care Services or Probation Offices.

The particulars given by the C.R.P.O have to be recommended by the Divisional Secretary while those given by Probation Officer have to be recommended by the relevant Provincial Commissioner of Probation and Child Care Services.

In addition, the officers in charge of Certified Schools, Detention Homes and Voluntary Children’s Homes may submit applications pertaining to children residing there, to the Commissioner of Probation and Child Care Services through their respective Provincial Commissioners

Rehabilitation Process
The children admitted to the centre, should necessarily undergo training at least for a minimum period of 06 months. During this period, they are given counselling and vocational training. The period of training is determined by the nature of problems faced by individual child.

By the end of training, the relevant C.R.P.O or the P.O. has to create a conducive atmosphere for proper socialization of the child.

The rehabilitation process include the following main areas.

• Providing counselling and vocational training
• Arranging religious activities for them to participate
• Arranging pleasure trips / tours for their participation
• Taking them to various places of aesthetic value - Dancing, Drama etc.
• Giving them the opportunity to enable them to have dealings with the outside world. (Taking them to market, fairs, post office etc)
• Implementation of programmes related to counselling and vocational training by visiting lecturers.
• Giving them the opportunity to spend their time freely and cordially within the centre.
• Organizing Children Societies, morning assembly etc. so that they are able to express and exhibit their talents

Benefits and Advantages to be derived from the institution
Minimization of mental affliction by counselling, and the ability of achieving, conducive mental growth for socialization.

• Lessening the number of children in State and Voluntary Homes.
• Opening the avenue to hand over children to their families early if they do not have any legal problem
• Taking action to hand over children with no parents, to a close relative or a guardian

Present condition of children who have left the institution after training

The particulars revealed by follow-up work may change with time.

National Centre for Children Training and Counselling Services