In a preliminary survey of families affected by COVID-19 has discovered that 530 children have lost at least one parent in the first or the second wave of the Pandemic.
As many as 17 of them are children of single parents, with one parent having dead before the epidemic. A total of 511 have lost their single parent to the virus. The final report of the survey is expected on Saturday. It may be submitted to the State government by Monday next, an officer said, reports the Hindu.
Officers maintain that none of the children has been shifted to government child care homes or hostels.
District Child Protection Officer Ravindra Rathnakar said that the government will provide all benefits to the family. “Our offer of taking care of the children in a government care home, hostel, or residential school will always be open,’’ he said, the story adds further.
Shashikala Jolle, Minister for Women and Child Empowerment has declared that the State will take care of the children orphaned or otherwise affected by COVID-19.
Schemes for Children:
The State government will provide a cash incentive of ₹1,000 per month for three years per child. Under a Union government scheme, such children will get ₹1 lakh when they attain 18 years of age.