An estimated 2,500 lost a parent, the government says. statistics
According to Delhi government figures, around 100 children were orphaned in the capital, while around 2,500 children lost their parents to COVID-19 ever since it took the form of a pandemic.
The Department of Women and Child Development (WCD) identified over 250 orphans and over 6,000 children who have a single parent between March 2020 and August 16 this year. About 40% of them, in both the categories, are understood to have been affected by COVID-19.
care, protection
Rashmi Singh, Special Secretary-cum-Director, WCD and Social Welfare said that inquiries regarding all the children identified as orphans have been completed and more than 230 of them have been declared in need of care and protection. . Among single-parent cases, over 5,500 cases, more than 5,000 cases were declared in need of care and protection by the department.
“The mandate of the department is to ensure and ensure that children found vulnerable for any reason are given care and protection. The need for increased detection and a focused response towards such children had increased due to the pandemic,” Ms Singh said.
“During the second wave, apart from stepping up our efforts to identify them through existing means like local intelligence, we went to the extent of making public appeals through garbage collection vehicles operated by various civic bodies, in finding children. asked for help Help needed on helpline number 1098.
Ms Singh underlined the need for community vigilance with the vulnerability of such children due to the pandemic as well as the importance of connecting citizens affected by COVID-19 with existing welfare schemes in some way or the other.
WCD has initiated child-centred convergence-cum-facilitation camps where stakeholders are brought on a common platform to facilitate meeting the procedural requirements for access to schemes and services. These range from opening bank accounts of minors and declaration of guardians to Aadhaar enrollment. Such camps were organized by the department on September 27 and 28 in all child welfare committees across Delhi.
According to the department, 167 bank accounts were opened on the spot, with 184 Aadhaar enrollments, apart from facilitating 1,800 children or families. Ms. Singh said that more such camps would be organized on monthly basis.
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