Nabarangpur, Dec, 05: On the directives of the State Government’s Department of Women and Child Development, the Nabarangpur District Administration and District Child Protection Unit organized a district-level program on the occasion of National Foster Child Awareness Month at the Ashok Mehta Auditorium, District Collector’s Office.
The meeting was chaired by District Collector Dr. Maheshwar Swain, who stated that all government departments in the district are working to ensure the protection of every child. Every child in society needs a family. If a child is placed under legal foster care, they can remain safe. The District Child Protection Unit, Child Welfare Committee, District Health Department, BDOs, CDPOs, Anganwadi workers, and ASHA workers were instructed to ensure that illegal foster placements do not occur in the district.
Children staying with anyone other than their biological parents must be immediately brought before the Child Welfare Committee; otherwise, their placement will be declared illegal and the child will be taken under government protection, the District Collector emphasized. Surveys will be conducted by field staff, and a list will be submitted to the District Collector as soon as possible.
UN
Other dignitaries present included DSP Saroj Punam Kisapata, District Social Welfare Officer Draupadi Kahara, Additional District Medical Officer Dr. Malay Kumar Tripathy, District Welfare Officer Ravindra Palja, District Planning Officer Anand Palei, Cluster Development Officer Nandahandi Kshirrod Chandra Sahu, District Child Protection Officer Suresh Kumar Pattnayak, along with staff from the District Child Protection Unit, Foster Care Centers, One Stop Centers, Anganwadi workers, Supervisors, and Gender Code Network representatives, who made the program successful.
At 10:00 AM, District Collector Dr. Maheshwar Swain flagged off the Foster Child Awareness Rally, which will travel through all 10 blocks of Nabarangpur district, raising awareness about the importance of foster care, child protection, prevention of child marriage, and elimination of child crimes.
Lack of awareness has allowed harmful practices like child marriage to continue in society. Children lose their rights and childhood when forced into early marriage. Parents, under traditional customs, marry off minors at very young ages. Children are deprived of education, forced into domestic responsibilities, and may become mothers before reaching the appropriate age.
The program aims to prevent child abuse, promote legal foster care, ensure the protection and rights of children, and create broad awareness regarding education and child welfare, the District Collector emphasized.