Poor children are vulnerable children. India has the largest population of children in the world but also the highest number of children engaged in work. These children work not just in sweatshops and domestic service, but also in family businesses, or as careers of other family members. The number of children involved in work which seriously damages their education and holistic development is unknown but ranges from the government’s 12.6 million to civil society estimates of 70-80 million children.

Child trafficking is on the rise. Some children are snatched or tricked by traffickers; some are sold by their families (who in most cases believe that their children are being offered a better alternative) or inadvertently handed over to people who enslave them in child labour or as sex workers.

CINI offers a number of education and protection services to children who are particularly vulnerable to abuse and exploitation. These services are concentrated in dangerous red light areas and around stations. In these locations, CINI runs a number of temporary shelters, both on a drop in basis and as a half way house, for children in trouble. It then helps them return to their families wherever possible (often counseling the families in question) and does its utmost to re-integrate them into mainstream society.

In partnership with the government, CINI provides a response team in West Bengal for calls to Childline, a 24 hour free telephone helpline which provides intervention and assistance to children in trouble. This service is used by adults and the police to report instances of child abuse, child labour and child trafficking but also by children themselves. Additionally, CINI operates a helpline for teens and for those with HIV/AIDS, offering them counseling and assistance.