Cradles Of Care Or Containers Of Contagion? An Exploration Of The Environmental Factors Shaping Health Outcomes In India’s Child Care Institutions

Abstract

Environmental factors, such as physical infrastructure, sanitation, and hygiene, are critical to the health, safety, and developmental outcomes of children in institutional care. While these facilities are legally required under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 to provide safe and health-promoting environments, certain omissions persist in practice. This Study examines the environmental conditions prevalent in child care institutions in Visakhapatnam district, Andhra Pradesh, India with the goal of identifying risks caused by inadequate infrastructure, poor sanitation, and poor hygiene habits. Using structured, semi-structured questionnaires, and observation checklist, the Study noticed that sanitation-related deficiencies were pronounced and several institutions lacked proper handwashing stations, safe drinking water sources, sufficient hygiene supplies, and regular cleaning schedules. These deficiencies create high-risk environments characterised by overcrowding, dampness, poor ventilation, and unsafe surfaces that aid in the spread of communicable diseases such as skin infections, respiratory illness, diarrhoea, and infestations, as well as increased exposure to physical hazards such as slippery floors, exposed wiring, and blocked emergency exits. The Study points out that environmental neglect in child care institutions is a systemic harm to child well-being and is a violation to rights of the children. Such situations directly violate the right to live with dignity guaranteed by Article 21 of Indian Constitution, as well as Articles 24 and 27 of UNCRC on health and adequate standards of living. Robust accountability mechanisms are required to ensure that child care institutions do not serve as sites of exposure and injury, but rather as spaces of safety, healing, and rights-based care.