Centre issues guidelines for care of children affected by COVID-19

New Delhi, June 03: The government has come out with guidelines for the care and protection of the children affected by COVID-19 and fixed responsibilities for the states, district magistrates, police, Panchayati Raj institutions and urban local bodies.

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), in an affidavit to the Supreme Court, said 9,346 children have lost at least one of the parents to the deadly virus, including over 1,700 who have lost both their parents, according to data received from the states.

The states need to identify the children in distress through outreach and surveys and prepare a database with a profile of each child, along with the details of their specific needs and requirements, and ensure that the data is uploaded on the Track Child portal.

States and Union territories have been directed to temporarily allocate child care institutions (CCIs) to house those children whose parents have been unwell due to COVID-19 and provide necessary support to them, in case the extended family is not available to take care of them.