In March, we spent time at the Arushi Shelter Home for Girls in Gurgaon, run by Salaam Baalak Trust.
It was exam season. Some of the girls were resting, some had just finished their meals. The home was moving through its usual rhythm. We walked through the space, met a staff member briefly, and spent time understanding the day-to-day functioning of the homes.
SBT’s work spans multiple layers of care.
Across Delhi, they run 13 contact centres that operate through the day, and 6 long-term shelter homes. Two homes are for girls and four are for boys. They also run schools and continue follow-ups with children who have been restored to families, across Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
On an average day, there are about 400 children under their care. Children in the homes are typically between 6 and 18 years old. To ensure that families don’t get separated, sometimes younger siblings also stay along. One of the larger homes has close to 100 children, including children with special needs.
Their days are structured and well-planned. Children wake up in the home, have breakfast, and carry packed lunches to school. Many attend nearby private schools that are chosen with care, keeping in mind both academics and how schools respond to children from difficult circumstances.
After school, they return to the home. Teachers are available through the afternoon to help with homework and provide additional support. A doctor visits every week. For further care, children are taken to government hospitals where SBT has existing partnerships. There is also a mental health team that works with the children over time, through counselling and regular sessions.
In the evenings, a mix of activities are planned for the children, depending on their age and the kind of engagement they might need. Children spend time at the park, some of them watch television, others might stay back to draw, paint or do other art-based activities. Later in the evening, the children all have dinner together and head to bed. This schedule runs every day, across the homes, for each child.
There is also a strong sense of ownership among the children. The annual theatre production is written and performed by them. Stories are chosen by the children, shaped by their experiences, and presented to large audiences. Staff step in to support, but the direction comes from the children themselves. Sports play a bigger role in the boys’ homes, with football and other activities forming a regular part of the day. Festivals are celebrated across homes, with children and staff preparing together. Libraries are present in the homes and are used by children to read and spend time. There is interest in building more structured storytelling spaces over time.
One conversation really stayed with us during the visit. It was around how children express their needs differently. Staff at the home shared that younger boys, especially, tend to miss the physical comfort that their mothers or female caregivers naturally provide. With female visitors who make a connect, they reach out, hold on, and stay physically close when someone spends time with them. They seek warmth and reassurance which is a part of growing up, but can be difficult to provide in institutional settings. Girls are different. They tend to take up supportive roles in the homes earlier on, and are more independent. They hold responsibilities within the home often, including participating in different committees. They are seen to often express themselves via art and theatre. Some of them pursue art so diligently, that they have had opportunities to pursue advanced art classes through partnerships. As they grow older, they need increased support with respect to navigating relationships and understanding the world outside the home.
Care also extends beyond the home. Based on the Child Welfare Committee permissions, children stay for as long as they might need. However, when they leave and return to families, SBT stays in touch to ensure overall welfare. Additionally, SBT also runs an alumni network that keeps regular contact with the young people after they leave, ensuring that they have all the support needed, including education, housing, medical needs, and ongoing guidance and mentorship.
Within the home as well, the staff hold this system together. Care in these homes often takes on the role of parenting, but at a very different scale. A single staff member may be responsible for far more children than what we would consider ideal in a family setting. When asked about qualifications, the emphasis was not on formal credentials as much as the ability to care, to stay, and to build connection over time. It raises a larger question of what an “institutional parent” looks like for a child, and how collective care is experienced when it is shared across many people rather than held by one.
Each home runs 24 hours a day, with coordinators, caregivers, teachers, and health workers working in shifts. At contact centres, smaller teams manage teaching, health coordination, school engagement, and reporting. The work is continuous. It moves across education, health, administration, and emotional support, often within the same day.
Children grow up within this system with a strong sense of independence. They learn to manage daily routines, take responsibility for themselves and others, and participate in shaping the spaces they live in.
As we left, the day was continuing as usual. School, meals, conversations, rehearsals, and play. The visit offered a closer look at how care is built and sustained over time. It sits across routines, relationships, and the people who show up every day to hold it together.
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Thank you to Salaam Baalak Trust for opening your doors to us and taking the time to walk us through the Arushi Shelter Home.
It was valuable to spend time understanding the depth and continuity of your work, and to see how care is held across everyday routines, from schooling and health to art, play, and long-term support. We especially appreciated the openness with which you shared both the strengths and the ongoing realities of running these homes.
Grateful for the work you do, and for the opportunity to learn from it.
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