Improving services at children's homes

There are large numbers of children living in children's homes in Sri Lanka as well as in other parts of the world. Some of them are orphans while others have been abandoned by their parents.

Homes for such children are maintained by the State as well as by private institutions. The Probation and Child Care Department has now introduced a programme to provide qualitative services to the children's homes coming under the State so that they will become more vibrant and useful institutions serving the resident children. Many different viewpoints had been presented about the running of these homes.

Taking all these views into consideration, a programme has been decided to be effected from next year to raise the standard of the homes run by the Department of Probation and Child Care. The programme intends to increase allowances, ensure the safety of the child inmates and properly train the officers who run these homes.

There are over 20 children's homes currently maintained by the Department.