Delhi govt asks people to contribute towards child welfare fund

The AAP government has urged people to donate towards the Delhi Child Welfare Fund and also share details of children who have been left orphaned or lost one of their parents to coronavirus.

“If you know a child who has lost one or both parents to COVID-19, call Childline on 1098 or mail us the details of such child at “scpsdelhi@gmail.com,” the department said. Through a public announcement, the Women and Child Development Department has urged people to make contributions.

“Donate and do Your bit for children by contributing towards Delhi Child Welfare Fund to secure well being of children in need of care and protection and for their rehabilitation…,” it read.

By doing so, people will be able to sponsor the needs of children such as residential care, subsistence support, education, medical and mental health, vocational training and skill development, foster care, sponsorship, aftercare, etc.

The department said that by informing them about children who have lost their parents to the infection, people will be able to ensure fulfilment of basic needs of the children including food, shelter and education, medical and mental health support, helping them in getting financial assistance including ex-gratia payment under the “Mukhyamantri COVID-19 Parivar Arthik Sayahata Yojna”.

It will also help in ensuring that they are not separated from siblings or taken away from kinship care.

Over 2,000 children in the city have lost either one or both their parents to the novel coronavirus infection, with 67 of them losing both their parents, since the pandemic outbreak in March last year, according to a survey conducted by the Delhi Commission For Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR).

As many as 651 children have lost their mothers and 1,311 children their fathers to the infection, it stated.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had announced that children who have lost both or either of the parents to COVID-19 will be given a financial assistance of Rs 2,500 per month till the time they attain the age of 25.

Kejriwal had on May 14 said his government would bear the cost of education and upbringing of the children orphaned during the pandemic.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also announced in June a number of welfare measures for such children, including ensuring a corpus of Rs 10 lakh when they turn 23 years of age and providing for their education.

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