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Pune: State woman and child development (WCD) minister Yashomati Thakur has said that all care and precautions had been
taken to prevent the spread of coronavirus at the 362 childcare protection homes in the state.
With the rising number of Covid-19 cases in the state, a detailed plan had been drawn up by the WCD department for taking
care of children at these homes.
There are currently 10,000 children at shelter homes across the state. Before the pandemic, there were 21,000 children. The
Child Welfare Committees had allowed around 10,000 children to return to their families. “These children are our responsibility
and we are conducting checks at each institution,” she told TOI.
State WCD commissioner Ravi Patil said that out of the 362 homes, 52 were adoption agencies with 883 children. “Online
education is on for these children and care has been taken to ensure that all facilities are provided to these homes, with
Rs16.50 lakh given under the district women and child welfare fund to all the institutions,” Thakur said.
Due process has been carried out for adoption agencies, too, as no adoption had taken place for the last few months due to
the lockdown.
“Children living in these homes have not been able to step out in the last six months. They are being provided online training
with the help of non-governmental organisations,” said a WCD official.
Save the Children, an NGO, has been carrying out online training programmes on rapport building, mind healing, positive
sharing and anger management activities.
31/10/2020 Over 10k in children’s homes get Covid protection from state - Times of India
Care has been taken to ensure proper management and isolation facilities at each of the homes, if any cases come to light.
Health check-ups were being conducted on children admitted to the shelter homes. The WCD has tied up with various medical
facilities to ensure that they are taken care off. Masks and sanitisers have been procured at these homes.
Thakur said the state government was yet to take a final decision on appointing a chairperson for state women’s commission
even after almost 15 meetings and several requests.
The former state women’s chairperson had resigned from the post in February. “We have had several meetings with the state
government on the issue. However, the government is yet to take a final call on the appointment. So, the post is vacant as of
now.”
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