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NCPA gets modern Child Protection Centre

The National Child Protection Authority will be moving into a new office complex in Thalawathugoda Road, Madiwela, on March 27 in the presence of the chief guest the High Commissioner for the United Kingdom Linda Duffield. The Government of the United Kingdom has provided the funds for the construction of the three-storeyed building.

The National Child Protection Authority, that functions directly under the President, was established in 1999, on the recommendations of the Presidential Task Force on Child Protection and has a wide mandate in all aspects of prevention and actions as regards to Child abuse.

The new centre would cater for many aspects of child protection needs. The centre will house the staff, headed by Prof. Harendra de Silva (Chairman), that administer to a wide spectrum of child protection and child-abuse-prevention needs. The centre will contain a therapy room designed to provide psychological assistance to abused children, a library complete with child protection books, and an auditorium to facilitate the skills development programs of the professionals in child related areas and to raise awareness of the general public and children. It would also comprise of a 'Video interview room', a child-friendly room, especially equipped with recording equipment, anatomically detailed dolls, etc. in order to take video evidence from children who have been abused, for court purposes. Among other facilities, it would also have a fully equipped computer room to update and maintain the national database of the NCPA.

The Child Protection Centre, in design, will create an official, yet child-friendly atmosphere inside the building. The ground floor of the building will receive children for evidential interviews and/or therapy. The therapy rooms, the video interview room, the lavatories and public rest areas are positioned in a way to ensure the safety and the anonymity of the children, plus confidentiality. The offices of the staff will occupy the upper floors. 

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