Govt initiates transit centres:

State carefor children

Nethali Struys

A child protection centre will be built in the North Central Province by May for the benefit of children who have suffered from war and lost their parents and also children who are not being well looked after by their parents, said National Child Protection Authority Chairperson Anoma Dissanayake.

This program is initiated by the North Central Provincial Commission and the National Child Protection Authority.

"There is no government place in the province to take care children who live without proper parental protection," Dissanayake said.

This centre is a place where children will be taken and kept for five to six months till they find suitable foster parents, she said.

"They will be given psychological therapy treatment and will be rehabilitated before resettling them with new parents." Dissanayake pointed out that although this system is new to Sri Lanka, it is carried out n most countries.

This will give children a good opportunity to build their personality in a family environment which will be helpful for them to get used to the society, she said.

Dissanayake pointed out that the children who have spent their childhood at children's homes find it very difficult to move about in society and adjust themselves according to the society.

"They are ignorant even about simple and mundane issues such as purchasing daily needs from shops," the NCPA Chairperson said.

Applications will be called in the future for those who are interested in applying as foster parents. These children will be handed over to the foster parents through court.

After handing over the children, the NCPA will monitor the parents. "If the real parents can afford, measures will be taken to make them pay an allowance to the child looked after by foster parents."

If not arrangements will be made by the government to provide compensation to the foster parents.

After evaluating the successes of this pilot project it will be implemented in other areas in the future.