(1) The State Government may establish open shelters by itself or through voluntary or non-governmental organisations.
(2) All organisations and persons who wish to establish open shelters or already running open shelters shall, make an application in Form 27 to the State Government for registration.
(3) The applicants shall submit a report of the need for opening such open shelters along with a survey on the status of children indicating the number of children where the open shelter is proposed to be established. After proper police verification and other inquiry as deemed necessary, the organisation or person may be selected for running the open shelter.
(4) The open shelters shall be registered as provided under sub-section (1) of section 41 of the Act in Form 28.
(5) The services provided in the open shelters may include day care and night residential facilities including food, washing facilities and toilets, and any other facility as the State Government may deem fit.
(6) The capacity of an open shelter should be such as to accommodate twenty-five to fifty children at one time and should include a kitchen, dining facilities, bathrooms and toilets, lockers and recreational facilities.
(7) In cases where, the agency in charge of the Open Shelter finds that a child may require more than short term care and protection exceeding twenty- four hours, such child may be produced before the Committee for appropriate further steps.
(8) The open shelter shall not refuse admission to any child in need of care and protection at any time.
(9) Each open shelter shall send monthly information in Form 29 to the District Child Protection Unit and the Committee regarding the children availing the services of the open shelter.