The TARA Training Centre provides structured child protection training in India to staff, partners and volunteers working with vulnerable children. Established in 2017, it strengthens professional practices across all TARA programmes through training, supervision and knowledge-sharing.
Its mission is to uphold the highest standards of professionalism and expertise among TARA associates, employees, teachers and volunteers supporting vulnerable children.
Working with children who have experienced trauma, poverty and family instability requires specialised competencies. The Training Centre ensures that teams are equipped with the right tools, knowledge and ethical frameworks to provide safe, consistent and high-quality care.
A cornerstone of child protection training in India
Capacity building supports all TARA initiatives, residential care, aftercare and community outreach, by strengthening the competencies of multidisciplinary teams and ensuring continuity in the care pathway of each child.
The Training Centre promotes shared standards, professional ethics and coordinated practices across programmes, in alignment with the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015 and Mission Vatsalya guidelines.
Training areas
- Child protection and safeguarding fundamentals.
- Trauma-informed care and psychosocial support.
- Education and pedagogy adapted to vulnerable children.
- Health awareness and referral pathways.
- Case management, documentation and professional ethics.
- Life-skills facilitation and mentoring practices.
- POCSO Act awareness and child-safe behaviour protocols.
Learning rooted in field experience
Training modules are based on TARA’s direct field experience and combine theory, case studies, peer learning and supervision.
External experts contribute specialised knowledge while internal teams share practical lessons from daily work with vulnerable children, families and young adults across South Delhi.
This grounded approach ensures that learning is immediately applicable to real situations encountered in residential care, outreach and aftercare programmes.
Who benefits from TARA’s child protection training
TARA staff
Social workers, educators and caregivers across all residential and community programmes.
Coordinators & teachers
Programme coordinators and teachers working directly with vulnerable children.
Volunteers & mentors
Individuals supporting children through mentoring, tutoring and extracurricular activities.
Partner organisations
Community facilitators and partner NGOs strengthening their child protection practices across India.
Strengthening professional skills directly improves child protection, emotional support and long-term outcomes for beneficiaries.
📖 Story from the field
Shabhoor: from tutor to team lead
Shabhoor joined TARA Tots as a tutor, building strong, nurturing bonds with the children. Her natural caregiving skills quickly stood out. Supported by regular professional development through the TARA Training Centre, including modules in child psychology, teamwork and programme planning, she steadily grew into a leadership role. In early 2025, she was first promoted to Assistant Programme Lead, then to Programme Lead of TARA Boys. Today she manages operations with skill and vision, and is admired by peers as a role model of what is possible when talent is nurtured and growth is supported.
Source: TARA Impact Assessment 2024-25.
Why child protection training matters
Child protection depends on the people who implement it. Investing in training ensures that every child receives informed, respectful and consistent care.
The Training Centre contributes to professionalising the sector by promoting evidence-based practices, ethical standards and continuous learning across TARA’s programmes and partner organisations.
Since 2022, TARA partners with Guardians of Dreams to share expertise and deliver child protection training across the subcontinent. In 2024-25, TARA co-authored the Standards of Care for Child Care Institutions with Guardians of Dreams, an important step toward shaping national care practices.
Partner with the Training Centre
We collaborate with professionals, institutions and organisations willing to strengthen child protection training practices and share expertise across India.