Govt. mulls community based correctional programmes for children

No State-run children’s homes in NE
14 unsuitable homes to be closed down



By Pabodha Hettige

The government is planning to implement a scheme where child offenders and children who have been victims of abuse could be rehabilitated through community based correctional programme, instead of being sent to State run children’s homes, some of which function as rehabilitation centres.

Commissioner General of Probation and Child Care Sarath Abegunawardana says that there is no need for establishing more and more State-run children’s homes because the government’s goal is to minimize the number of children placed in the custody of childcare authorities annually.

"Promoting and providing child care should not be considered the duty of the government alone. To ensure the safety of children, the private sector and the voluntary organizations have a role to play. However, the government is planning to construct ten more safe houses for children by 2012," he said.

Currently, there are about 371 registered children’s homes run by private organisations, while there are only 22 such State-run institutions. There are no State-run child care institutions in the former war zone. There are 120 such centers, run by the non-governmental organizations, in those parts of the country, he said.

The 22 State run children’s homes function as rehabilitation centres for abused children and child offenders and no shelter is provided to the homeless children.

Instead of rehabilitating children in these centres the authorities are planning to implement community based correction programmes. According to Abegunawardana, nearly 16,000 children below the age of 18 years are sheltered in children’s homes countrywide.

Abegunawardana said that the privately run children’s homes are closely monitored by the respective local government authorities to prevent child abuse. "Strict action will be taken against the children’s homes where children are abused and we have taken steps to educate the staff to create a child friendly environment in those places," he said adding that private children’s homes are expected to strictly adhere to the policies set out by the government.

He said that this year his outfit had received only about five complaints of child abuse in children’s homes.

The government had also taken steps to stop registration of new children’s homes and 14 places found wanting in the Northern Province would be immediately closed down, he said.

http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=33638