India has over 18 million vulnerable children
Child Labour
Homelessness
Begging
Loneliness
Abuse
Addiction
The Rainbow Homes Program is a nationwide initiative dedicated to delivering comprehensive care to children facing significant vulnerabilities across India.
These children have either experienced abandonment, fled from violent and abusive environments, grown up amidst violence, suffered from various forms of abuse—sexual, physical, and psychological—or are offspring of sex workers and manual scavengers, spanning both rural and urban areas of India.
Rainbow Homes intervenes to rescue these children from a trajectory marked by uncertainty, helplessness, and the threat of criminalization. Through a combination of residential and community-based care, RHP strives to empower these children to lead dignified, independent lives, providing them with opportunities for stable employment, housing, and a supportive social network.
Since its inception in 2002, RHP has reached out to over 12,000 street children. Presently, the program provides care to nearly 5,601 children and young adults across ten cities in India. This care is facilitated through the operation of 48 Residential Homes, 22 Community-based Rainbow Community Centres, and The Futures Program. These cities include Anantapur, Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Patna, Pune, and Ranchi.helplessness, and the threat of criminalization. Through a combination of residential and community-based care, RHP strives to empower these children to lead dignified, independent lives, providing them with opportunities for stable employment, housing, and a supportive social network.
Our Reach
What makes us different
Engagement with Public Systems:
- Homes and community centres are strategically situated within government schools or safe public spaces, ensuring accessibility and safety.
- RHP maintains robust partnerships with government entities, civil society organizations, public institutions, and individuals, fostering credibility and effectiveness in its operations.
- Children enrolled in RHP facilities often attend nearby government schools, contributing to increased pupil enrollment and community integration.
Open, Voluntary, and Non-Custodial:
- Children choose to leave the streets and become part of the Rainbow Homes voluntarily.
- Embracing an ethos of Open Hearts, Open Gates, Rainbow Homes provide a non-threatening and unconfined living environment.
- Children are not subjected to surveillance or confinement; instead, they enjoy freedom within the nurturing environment of the homes.
Open, Voluntary, and Non-Custodial:
- Children choose to leave the streets and become part of the Rainbow Homes voluntarily.
- Embracing an ethos of Open Hearts, Open Gates, Rainbow Homes provide a non-threatening and unconfined living environment.
- Children are not subjected to surveillance or confinement; instead, they enjoy freedom within the nurturing environment of the homes.
Child-centric Approach:
- Our community and child-centric care models prioritize the well-being of the child, adhering to Child Rights, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, RTE (Right to Education), SMSA (Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan), and childcare protocols.
- Homes licensed under the Juvenile Justice Act 2015 ensure compliance with legal requirements and standards for the protection of children.
- Children actively participate in shaping their own development journey through child-centric practices such as Bal Sabhas (child meets), committees, and Child Participatory Reviews, empowering them to have a meaningful voice in decision-making processes.
Accountable & Transparent Practices:
- Each home undergoes annual audits encompassing financial, legal, childcare safety, and programmatic aspects, ensuring accountability and transparency in operations.
- Utilizing a real-time database Management Information System (MIS), individual child profiles are maintained, along with data-driven Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), facilitating continuous monitoring of their growth and the program's impact.
- Regular programmatic visits, monitoring activities, and reviews are conducted by both internal teams and external stakeholders, fostering transparency and accountability throughout the Rainbow Homes Program.
Accountable & Transparent Practices:
- Each home undergoes annual audits encompassing financial, legal, childcare safety, and programmatic aspects, ensuring accountability and transparency in operations.
- Utilizing a real-time database Management Information System (MIS), individual child profiles are maintained, along with data-driven Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), facilitating continuous monitoring of their growth and the program's impact.
- Regular programmatic visits, monitoring activities, and reviews are conducted by both internal teams and external stakeholders, fostering transparency and accountability throughout the Rainbow Homes Program.
Our Endorsements
SSA
Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan framework for implementation. Ministry of Human Resource Development, Department of School Education and Literacy
SAVE THE CHILDREN
Caring for the children in street situations: Good practices and approaches. A study by Save the Children
TISS
Rainbow Homes, Sunbursts in the Lives of the Vulnerable Girls: A Study by Tata Institute of Social Sciences
UNICEF
Comprehensive Care and Protection of the Street and Homeless Children: A Study by Anita Kaul, supported by UNICEF