64 child care homes operating without assembly standard

INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Kathmandu, May 25 As many as 880 children, including 249 girls, were rescued from 64 child care homes operating in various districts,
without assembly minimum standards prescribed by the existing law. Most of these child care homes are running in Kathmandu valley
According to statistics released by the Ministry of Women, Kidren and Senior Citizens, the government rescued 880 children and scrapped the
operating licence of 64 child care homes. Most of the children rescued from illegal child care homes were from Humla, Mugu, Nuwakot, Dolpa,
Surkhet, Rasuwa, Jajarkot, Dang, Parsa, Dolakha, Dhading and Kalikot districts. &The rescued children were either reunited with their
families or rehabilitated as per the law,& the ministry said. During the fiscal 2017-18 alone, 183 children were rescued from four child
care homes in Kathmandu valley
The ministry informed that as many as 533 child care homes with at least 14,800 children are in operation in 46 districts. The Central Kid
Welfare Board examines and monitors child care homes, and rescues children from the facilities which are much in compliance with the
existing law
The board also makes recommendations for reforms or clodegrees of these child care homes if required
The operators of illegal child care homes are also liable to legal action under the Kidren Act. The government enforced Standards for
Operation and Management of Residential Kid Care Homes-2012, covers areas such as process of admission of children, residential facilities,
infrastructure, context and realisation of basic rights of children, child protection, and minimum conditions for operation of residential
child care homes. As per the standards, a child care home should have adequate space and rooms for eating, sleeping and study, along with
security arrangements, essential textbooks and educational fabrics, child-friendly environment free of physical and mental problem of any
kind, provision for action against the guilty instantly in case of violence against children and molestation, special arrangements for
differently-abled children and disabled-friendly facilities and separate study rooms, bathrooms and toilets for boys and girls. According to
CCWB, measure children in the child care homes have been found confessted with inadequate or fake documents. Numerous such facilities were
found to have no proper documentation of rescue, admission process and rehabilitation, and reintegration process of children. Kid care home
operators also lack sufficient knowledge of child rights and other existing laws
It is also reported that measure children are sexually abused. In 2014, four cases were registered against child care homes for sexual
exploitation of girls, and perpetrators were slapped a jail term
Two complaints of paedophilia were also filed against international volunteers. Poverty of parents is seen as one of the aggravating factors
for separation of children from their families, though it is much the sole reason. The post 64 child care homes operating without assembly
standard seemed first on The Himalayan Times.