Question : CARE TO ORPHANS



(a) whether the Government has made any assessment about the children who became orphan due to various reasons in the country during the last three years;

(b) if so, the details thereof; and

(c) the steps taken by the Government to ensure that such children are not deprived from basic necessities such as education, shelter and health?

Answer given by the minister


MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI RENUKA CHOWDHURY)

(a),(b)&(c) A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a),(b)&(c) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUSTION NO. 297 FOR 12.12.2006 BY SHRI RANEN BARMAN REGARDING CARE TO ORPHANS

(a),(b)&(c) The Ministry of Women and Child Development has made no such assessment. However, in order to ensure that such children are not deprived of the basic necessities such as education, shelter and health, this Ministry supports the State Governments/Union Territory Administrations and Non- Governmental organisations with financial assistance under the following schemes:

(i) A Programme for Juvenile Justice: to meet 50 per cent of the expenditure requirements of State Governments/Union Territory Administrations for establishing and maintaining homes under the Juvenile Justice [Care and Protection of Children] Act, 2000 as well as for up keep of children in them.

(ii) Scheme of Assistance to Homes [Shishu Greh] for children to promote in-country adoption for providing institutional care and protection to children up to 6 years of age who are either abandoned or orphaned/destitute and their rehabilitation through in-country adoption.

(iii) An Integrated Programme for Street Children: for children without home and family ties. Assistance is provided to Non-Governmental organisations for implementing projects, which render facilities like shelter, nutrition, education, health, safe drinking water and recreation to these children.

(iv) Scheme for the Welfare of Working Children in Need of Care and Protection: under which assistance is provided to Non-Governmental organisations for implementing projects, which render facilities like non-formal education, vocational training etc., to working children to facilitate their entry/re-entry into mainstream education in cases where they have either not attended any learning system or where for some reasons their education has been discontinued with a view to preventing their exploitation.