The Chief Minister's Office of Himachal Pradesh shared remarks by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on 9 July 2026, highlighting a state initiative that confers the status of 'Children of the State' on vulnerable children who were previously living with uncles or other relatives without formal support.

In the post, CM Sukhu stated — translated from Hindi — that 'many children were spending their lives living with their uncles or other relatives. So that no child feels like a burden, we gave them the status of Children of the State.' He added that the government has made 'proper arrangements for their accommodation, education, livelihood, and other necessary facilities,' and has also provided them with opportunities for travel and excursions.

Context

The remarks address a specific category of children — those who are not technically orphaned but lack stable parental care and are informally placed with extended family members. Such children often fall outside the ambit of institutional child-protection systems, making them vulnerable to social and economic marginalisation. CM Sukhu framed the 'Children of the State' designation as a corrective to this gap.

The initiative reflects a broader concern that children living informally with relatives may internalise a sense of being a burden — a psychological dimension the Chief Minister explicitly addressed in his remarks, using the phrase 'koi bhi bachcha khud ko bojh na samjhe' (so that no child considers himself a burden).

Policy Backdrop

India's Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 provides the national framework under which states are mandated to identify and support children in need of care and protection. The Act envisages a range of support mechanisms beyond institutional care, including kinship placements and foster arrangements.

Himachal Pradesh's 'Children of the State' model aligns with a wider pattern seen across Indian states of expanding state guardianship to children living with extended family — particularly in Himalayan and hill states where economic migration and family disruptions are common. The approach is designed to prevent unnecessary institutionalisation while ensuring children receive entitlements for education, nutrition, and overall welfare.

Stakeholders and Impact

The primary beneficiaries are children who were living in informal arrangements with relatives, often with no formal recognition of their status or entitlement to state support. By conferring a formal designation, the state creates a legal and administrative basis for channelling benefits — including education support, accommodation, and livelihood assistance — directly to these children.

Extended family members who were informally bearing the cost of raising these children may also see relief, as the state assumes a more active role in providing for the children's needs. Civil society organisations working in child welfare in Himachal Pradesh are key stakeholders in monitoring implementation.

What's Next

The specifics of the scheme — including the number of children covered, the budget allocation, and the administrative mechanism — are expected to be detailed in forthcoming state budget sessions or child protection scheme reviews. Observers of Himachal Pradesh welfare policy will watch for formal government orders and implementation reports that translate this stated commitment into measurable outcomes.

As the state continues to develop its child welfare architecture, the 'Children of the State' initiative could serve as a model for other hill states grappling with similar challenges of informal kinship care and the absence of formal safety nets for non-orphaned vulnerable children.