Kathmandu, November 19. The National Child Rights Council (NCRC) has started taking care of and providing guardianship to 169 children, who were orphaned due to COVID-19.

At a programme organised to release a report related to situation of child rights in Nepal on the occasion of World Children’s Day on Friday, Executive Director of NCRC, Milan Raj Dharel, said data on the children who lost their parents due to COVID-19 was collected by mobilizing volunteers in all levels. 

They started collecting the data as per state policy of taking guardianship of the children, shared Dharel. He further said some of the children lost many years ago were found abroad. 

Dharel mentioned, “It is necessary to make national child protection system strong by expanding and strengthening child helpline service and child searching service.” 

Though some local levels have allocated sufficient amount of budget in the sector of children, some others have not allocated, he said, adding it was necessary to form local child rights committee as per the Act relating to Children-2075. 

 Executive Director Dharel opined, “A children fund should be established by appointing child welfare officer at local level.”

Similarly, Joint-Secretary at the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare, Shantiraj Prasain, shared that the Ministry had been holding discussion to appoint child psychologist at local level.