Transitional Home for boys in Belagola, Mysore.

Encouraged by the success of our endeavours in Bangalore city, ECHO-Center for Juvenile Justice contemplated the need to expand our activities and reach out to many more children in need. Taking cognizance of the similarity in the milieu in which children live and the various causes that contribute to this scenario ECHO choose work in the city of Mysore. It was inaugurated in the month of July 2007 by Sri. Praveen Sood, IPS- Commissioner of Police, Mysore. Reinforcing the ideologies which lead to the initiation of ECHO, Spandana works towards protecting the rights of children and providing services for their holistic development.

ECHOSpandana provides an ambit of services to help both children in conflict with law and children in need of care and protection. The staff from ECHO Spandana visit the Observation Home, counsel the children and attempts are made to look for the families of these children, primarily to inform the parentabouts their child’s whereabouts. The parents also are counselled before the release of the child. Regular contacts are maintained with the family to help them cope with problem they might face from society or the police.

In circumstances where the child is unable to go back with family- children below 15 years are given shelter at ECHO Spandana; children above 15 years of age are sent to ECHO’s Transition Home in Bangalore.

Staff from ECHO Spandana visit the Children’s Home and interact with children. Regular visits to the Children’s Home helps the staff build rapport with the children. The staff also is involved in the daily routine of children housed here. To help these children forget the ordeal that they have been through, regular cultural programmes are conducted where prizes are given to them.

Working with the children in the milieu they come from is imperative for any kind of intervention, to prevent children from taking to crime. Keeping this in mind, ECHO Spandana has been visiting the slums in Mysore to initiate a community based programme, arranged by the DSS Sisters.