New Delhi, 04 February 2022: The Hon’ble Prime Minister has announced PM CARES for Children scheme to support children who have lost both parents or surviving parent or legal guardian or adoptive parents due to COVID-19 pandemic. The scheme is accessible through an online portal i.e. pmcaresforchildren.in. The applications of such children are uploaded on the portal by the respective State/ UT Governments. As on 03.02.2022, 6654 applications have been uploaded on the portal out of which, 3890 applications have been approved as per due process.
Further, the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 and the Adoption Regulations 2017 has a framework for the rehabilitation of orphaned, abandoned, and surrendered children. The Child Welfare Committee and the District Child Protection Unit are entrusted with rehabilitation of children.
The Ministry is implementing a centrally sponsored scheme namely Child Protection Services (CPS) Scheme – Mission Vatsalya under which support is provided to States and UT Governments for delivering services for children in need of care and in difficult circumstances. The Child Care Institutions (CCIs) established under the CPS scheme support inter-alia age-appropriate education, access to vocational training, recreation, health care, counselling etc. As per the scheme guidelines, quantum of sponsorship for non-institutional care of children in need of care and protection is Rs.2000/- per child per month. For children living in Child Care Institution, there is a provision for maintenance grant of Rs. 2160/- per child per month.
As informed by National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), it has developed a Standard Operating Procedure 2.0 for care and protection of children in street situations which had been circulated to all the concerned authorities of the State Governments, State Commissions for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCRs), and all Stakeholders for implementation.
The Government is committed to ensure safety and security of children in difficult circumstances through the network of statutory and service delivery structures across states/UTs. Besides, POSHAN Abhiyaan aims to reduce malnutrition in a phased manner, through a lifecycle approach, by adopting a synergised and result oriented approach. Moreover, during the pandemic, States/ UTs were directed to distribute food items and nutrition support by Anganwadi Workers, once in 15 days, at the doorstep of beneficiaries, i.e., children, women and lactating mothers to ensure continuous nutritional support.
- per JJ Act, 2015, the children in distress condition including street and orphan children are produced before Child Welfare Committees to ascertain the immediate need of child and issue appropriate orders for rehabilitation of such children, either to restore the child with care giver or place her / him in institutional or non-institutional care.
This information was given by the Minister of Women and Child Development, Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani, in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.