Name: Bihar Voluntary Coordinating Agency

State: Bihar

Areas covered: All over Bihar

Major issues covered: The State of Bihar is considered to be among the poorest in the country. The State also has one of the highest numbers of neglected children and children living in difficult circumstances, being destitute and abandoned due to poverty and other reasons. While deliberating upon the ‘Adoption programmes’ in the country the Supreme Court of India in its judgment pronounced that every State should have a Voluntary Coordinating Agency (VCA) to ensure proper implementation of the laws pertaining to adoption and neglected children.

Working with: New born babies, Nursing Homes and Trafficked children

Objective: To stop the child trafficking in the hospitals by exposing the child trafficking channels or networks. To advocate doctors in terms of legal adoption.

About the project in brief: Prayas, in collaboration with East and West Education Society, an NGO with excellent track record in Patna, has been running programmes at the grassroots and co-ordinating with the local agencies through training, workshops, research studies, etc. Prayas and East & West Educational Society have established the statutory body as a separate society, named Bihar Voluntary Coordinating Agency in response to the Supreme Court’s judgement. The Society has a network with NGOs and the State Government to regulate and facilitate in-country and inter-country adoption of children. The project aims to stop child trafficking in the hospitals. It has been reported that staffs of several hospitals & Nursing Homes are involved in child trafficking. It has also been reported that staffs of these places sell babies of unwed mothers privately to the couples who are eager to adopt. Therefore, it becomes essential to advocate these doctors regarding the procedure of legal adoption.