Women, child dev dept preparing cabinet note

LUCKNOW : The UP women and child development department is in the process of finalising a cabinet note for the state government to frame a rehabilitation policy for the children rendered orphan due to the pandemic across the state.

After getting reports that children in large numbers had lost their parents to Covid, the state government decided to frame a rehabilitation policy for them.

It will cover children below 18 years of age who have lost both their parents or either mother or father. Till date, the women and child development department has identified 555 such children across the state.

“We are finalising a cabinet note. It will be finalised and handed over to the government soon,” said Manoj Rai, director, women and child development department.

“In this policy, we will make sure that all requirements of a child, including education and medical facilities, are addressed,” Rai added.

According to officials, the state government’s priority will be to rehabilitate a child, who has lost both the parents, in the family itself. In case, relatives are not willing to take care of the child, they will be sent to childcare home, they add. “Families willing to accept an orphaned child will be provided all kinds of assistance, including financial,” the official said.

The department has asked district magistrates to take the help of village child protection committees that are headed by gram pradhans in preparing the list of these children. Anganwadi workers are the member-secretary of such committees.

Child Line (1098), special juvenile police units, district child protection units and nigrani samitis (monitoring committees) in rural and urban areas are also assisting the district magistrates in preparing the list.

The department has also asked officials to take adequate steps to prevent child marriages and take necessary steps if any such incident is reported.