Kathmandu, April 27: The National Child Rights Council has closed two children’s homes that did not meet the standards in the current fiscal year 2022/23.
Ram Bahadur Chanda, information officer at the Council, informed that 41 children from two orphanages who did not meet the standards were rescued in the current year. “In the previous year, 47 children’s homes were closed, 45 children’s homes were closed by themselves and two children’s homes were closed against the standards, two children’s homes in the current year were closed without meeting the standards”, he said.
At present, 417 orphanages are operating in 43 districts of Nepal. In that, 10,950 children are being protected and nurtured. The council had published a notice to apply for permission for children’s homes that are operating in accordance with the provisions of the Standards for Operation and Management of Children’s Homes, 2079 BS.
According to the provisions of the new law, there is a provision to obtain a license from the Council for the orphanages, and the Council is monitoring whether the orphanages are operating according to the standards in coordination with the local level as needed, he said.
According to the Council, 445 children at risk have been rescued with the complaints received from Child Helpline operating in 18 locations from the current fiscal year. There were 221 boys and 224 girls.
By rescuing children who are at risk, the Council has assisted six thousand one hundred and forty-one children in protection management, including relief counseling and legal counseling. There are 2,551 boys and 3,890 girls.
The necessary standards related to the operation and management of children’s homes include child-friendly physical infrastructure and structures in children’s homes, provision of necessary manpower in children’s homes, provision of financial resources needed to operate children’s homes, children’s admission process in children’s homes, arrangements for children’s food and nutrition, children’s health and hygiene, education etc must be arranged.
