NEW DELHI: The district administrations and childline in the city have been tasked with the responsibility of proper rehabilitation of rehabilitation of children who lost their parents to COVID-19.
The development came after directions from the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development, which had asked chief secretary Vijay Kumar Dev to ensure immediate action for the rehabilitation of orphaned children.
The social welfare department of the Delhi government has also written to district offices, institutions and child care facilities for effective implementation of the directions.
As per the directions, children, who have lost their parents to COVID, will need to be produced before the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) within 24 hours. Digital appearance and interaction may be used in exceptional cases if physical interaction is not possible due to COVID restrictions.
The government officials said the panel would determine the need of the child and pass appropriate orders; allow caregivers to take care of the child or place her or him in institutional or non-institutional care.
"Effort should be made to sustain the children in their family and community environment as far as possible. If the child is allowed to be under kinship care, the CWC will continue to check the well-being of the child regularly. The information about any child who has lost both parents may be shared with childline 1098. The local unit of the childline will contact the child to confirm the case and determine his well-being," said an official.
The official said according to the Centre's letter to the chief secretary, DMs will need rehabilitation of orphans. "They will be assisted by all the stakeholder agencies, including those working for the protection of children such as the Police, district child protection unit, local Childline unit, the CWC etc.," said the official.