Celebrated actor and UNICEF India National Ambassador Ayushmann Khurrana visited Jalna, Maharashtra, on August 20 to understand how seasonal migration affects children and see how a UNICEF-supported Kinship and Community Care programme is helping them remain safe, in school and connected to essential services.
The initiative works with the Jalna district administration, communities and local organisations to ensure children whose parents migrate for seasonal work can remain with grandparents, relatives or trusted caregivers instead of being exposed to greater risks such as child labour, child marriage, neglect and disrupted education.
During his visit, Khurrana met children, adolescent girls, Balmitras, young community leaders and families providing kinship care. He also received letters from girls highlighting how poor road conditions can make travelling to school unsafe and potentially contribute to dropouts, which he handed to the District Collector.
Calling distress-driven seasonal migration a “stark reality” for many families, Khurrana said, “No child should have to lose their childhood because of circumstances beyond their control.” UNICEF India has said stronger last-mile systems are needed to identify risks early and connect vulnerable families with essential services.
A Programme Built Around Care
Seasonal migration is a recurring reality for many families who move in search of work, but children who remain behind can face disruptions to education, healthcare and everyday care. UNICEF’s Kinship and Community Care programme in Jalna addresses this by helping children stay within family or trusted community networks while their parents migrate.
Under the model, children may remain with grandparents, extended relatives or trusted members of the community. UNICEF-trained Balmitras, or child-friendly youth volunteers, support them with education, nutrition, play, mental wellbeing and participation in community activities. Frontline workers and local institutions also help connect families with healthcare, nutrition and psychosocial support.
The objective is not simply to provide children with somewhere safe to stay. It is to maintain continuity in their lives so that a parent’s seasonal migration does not automatically mean a child drops out of school or becomes more vulnerable to exploitation and neglect. UNICEF says the initiative has helped reduce school absenteeism and dropouts while improving access to health and nutrition services.
Keeping Children In School
The scale of the intervention has grown over the years. According to UNICEF, more than 5,800 children stayed in kinship care during 2024–25 while their parents migrated for seasonal work, with most cared for by grandparents. The model began in Jalna in 2014 and has since expanded beyond its original pilot villages.
The programme also focuses on risks that can become more pronounced when children lack consistent supervision or access to services, including child labour, child marriage and adolescent pregnancy. By bringing together families, village institutions, youth volunteers and government services, the model attempts to identify vulnerabilities early rather than responding only after a child has dropped out of school or faced harm.
For children, that continuity can make a significant difference. Khurrana met 18-year-old Shilpa, who once migrated with her family but has since completed school and joined a vocational course. He described her journey as an example of how education and support can help children move beyond an intergenerational cycle of seasonal migration.
Communities Form The Safety Net
The programme’s strength lies in its community-based approach. Grandparents and relatives provide day-to-day care, while Balmitras and frontline workers help children stay connected with schools and services. Gram Panchayats and district authorities are also part of the network, helping create a local system that can respond to children’s needs.
During his visit, Khurrana met a family caring for two young grandchildren while their father migrates for seasonal work. With support from Balmitras and the wider community, the children continue attending school and receiving nutrition and immunisation services.
He also interacted with adolescent girls who spoke about barriers to education. One girl handed him a letter describing how poor road conditions can make the journey to school unsafe, particularly for girls, and potentially force children to drop out. Khurrana personally handed the letters to the District Collector and discussed the concern with officials.
Khurrana’s Role Beyond Visit
Khurrana’s involvement comes as part of his wider role as UNICEF India’s National Ambassador, a position he has held since 2023 after previously serving as a UNICEF Celebrity Advocate. His work with the organisation has focused on amplifying children’s rights and issues including violence against children, mental health, gender equality and youth empowerment.
In Jalna, his role was primarily to listen to children and communities, understand how the programme operates at the grassroots and use his public platform to draw attention to their concerns. He said his visit was his first rural field visit with UNICEF and that he had previously participated in campaigns in cities and at the Women’s World Cup.
He also emphasised that protecting childhood is a collective responsibility and called for stronger efforts to prevent child labour, child marriage and adolescent pregnancy. UNICEF India Representative a.i. Jesper Moller similarly stressed the importance of identifying risks early, connecting families to essential services and strengthening social protection systems, particularly as the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015 marks 10 years.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Seasonal migration may be necessary for families trying to secure an income, but children should not have to pay the price through lost education, unsafe journeys or diminished access to care.
Jalna’s experience shows that protecting children requires more than laws and schemes on paper; it requires relatives, volunteers, schools, local governments and communities working together so that support reaches children where they live.
Khurrana’s visit also highlights the value of listening to children themselves, particularly when they raise concerns about barriers that adults may overlook. If migration cannot always be prevented, how can communities and institutions ensure that childhood remains protected?
