Question : Children Orphaned due to COVID-19

(a) whether the Government has estimated the number of children orphaned as a result of loss of one or both parents due to COVID-19;
(b) if so, the details thereof state/UT-wise along with criteria/mechanism adopted to identify the same and if not the reasons therefor;
(c) the number of such children exposed to trafficking, state/UT-wise;
(d) whether the Government is implementing any scheme/programme including institutional support for the welfare and protection of these children and if so, the details thereof indicating the amount spent in this regard and the number of children benefitted therefrom;
(e) whether the Government has taken steps to encourage adoption of these children by civil society, if so, the details thereof and number of children adopted so far and if not the reasons therefor; and
(f) the data regarding number of children adopted and children returned by the adopting parents during the period 2015 to 2021 ?

(a) to (c) : 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 08.12.2021, 5714 applications have been uploaded on the portal out of which, 3258 applications have been approved by District Magistrates after due process and 542 applications are pending for approval.

(d) : The Ministry is implementing a centrally sponsored scheme namely Child Protection Services (CPS) Scheme 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 of Rs. 2000/- per child per month is available for Non-institutional Care of children in Need of Care and Protection and the provision for maintenance grant of Rs. 2160/- per child per month for children living in Child Care Institution. During the last three years period an amount of Rs. 2189.76/- Crores has been released under the scheme with total 2,30,063 number of beneficiaries.

(e) : The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 and the Adoption Regulations 2017 establish a framework for the rehabilitation of orphaned, abandoned, and surrendered children which include cases where children have lost both the parents owing to Covid-19. The Child Welfare Committee and the District Child Protection Unit are entrusted with the placement of such children for adoption and rehabilitation. Besides, Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) and State Adoption Resource Agency (SARA) are also mandated under JJ Act, 2015 for facilitating adoption related matters of children.

(f) : As informed by Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA), 11331 number of adoptions have been reported through the Child Adoption Resource Information and Guidance System (CARINGS) portal for the period from 2018-19 to 2020-21. All efforts are made for enabling adoption of children by the other waiting parents registered on the portal.

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