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Bond Free is an action research that critically examines the process of rescue and rehabilitation of 17 children of West Bengal from bonded labour. Citing shoddy government responses and inept civil society interventions, Bond Free reveals a situation that not only overlooks the best interests of children, but exposes them to a second line of exploitation within the family and community. Conducted with the purpose of strengthening critical gaps in existing systems and procedures of rescue and rehabilitation so as to protect children from being further exploited, the study clearly shows that the continuum from rescue to rehabilitation cannot simply be viewed in a social vacuum but needs to be understood in the context of human poverty, compulsive migration and community values. Bond Free provides a material for reflection and purposive action for development practitioners working on child right issues, as well as for civil servants and policy makers in the region.