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| Sunday, 1 September 2002 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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Employers of child domestics beware: Officials on the prowl by Shanika Sriyananda Liyanage Officers of the Department of Probation and Child Care, grama niladaris and samurdhi officials will visit houses shortly in their respective areas, to 'collect a data' on child domestics. "No proper data is available about child domestics" said Ashoka Peiris, Commissioner, Department of Probation and Child Care, who is geared to carry out an islandwide data collection on child domestics. According to Peiris, 265 Child Rights Protection Officers assisted by Probation and Child Care officers will collect the data. "If there are cases we will immediately take action", adding that it is an offence to employ a child under the age of 14, under the existing legislation. It is compulsory for parents to send their children, between the ages of five and 14, to schools and ban employing. "According to a survey conducted by the Labour Department reveals that there are approximately 100,000 child domestic workers in the country. But, this may not the actual figure and need of public assistance to find out the figure will be appreciated", Peiris said. "We received over 900 complaints, including 100 direct complaints to the Department and 844 from Provincial Commissioners, last year. The Department has taken legal action against 531 cases", he said. Of the total complaints, the highest number of complaints were from the Western province and the highest number of victims were from the plantation sector. The victims will not be sent back to their families but to the National Centre for Training and Counselling for Children at Paraththa, Panadura, an institution funded by the International Labour Organisation (ILO). The Department will soon commence an awareness program and a Sevana Sarana Foster Parent Scheme to overcome the main obstacles - like poverty and lack of knowledge. "Awareness among the Probation Officers, Labour Officers, the Police Officers and the public is not at all sufficient to tackle the problem. Therefore an awareness program will be launched with ILO funds to educate authorities on the issue. The UNICEF have agreed to hold series of seminars to educate the public", Peiris said. The Sevana Sarana Foster Parents Scheme, which was introduced for the benefit of the needy schoolchildren, on a concept by the late President Ranasinghe Premadasa in 1988, will be re-launched on October 1 to coincide with the Universal Children's Day. Twenty five children below 14 years of age will receive Sevana pass books from Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe at the Temple Trees. Each child will receive a monthly grant of Rs. 200 for a period of five years and the money will be deposited at the National Savings Bank. According to Peiris, over 17,000 schoolchildren from very poor families, excluding the North and East, have been benefited by this scheme and the foster parents exceed 8500. "The main advantage of this scheme is that the child will receive the monthly grant, and donors could visit the child only with the permission of the Probation and Child Care officers. Under this scheme, the foster parent cannot take the child for adoption but if they want they could continue with the grant even after the child reaches 14-years-old", he added. |
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