Fact Sheet

Situation of Child Care Homes and Government Initiatives in Nepal
As on November, 07

Milieu Information:

• Child Act 2048 enacted
  
• Rules and regulation 2051 promulgated
  
• Child Labor Prohibition and Regulation Act 2056 enacted and enforced in 2062.
  
• Minimum standards for the management of child care homes 2060 adopted.
  
• Child Care Home Monitoring Committee established by the Government of Nepal
  
• Civil code 1963 (12th amendment) and enforced in November 2007
  
• Monitoring activities initiated.

Statistical information

• Total number of Child Care Homes in Nepal :523
  
• In Kathmandu District:230
  
• In Lalitpur District:115
  
• In Bhaktapur District:21
  
• Inside Kathmandu Valley:366
  
• Outside Kathmandu valley:157
  
• 2/3 of the homes are running under risk situation with token support.

Major Challenges of Child care home at present:

• Internal Migration of children knowingly unknowingly from villages of Nepal
  
• Trend of running home without formal registration
  
• Adoption of children as profession in child care homes.
  
• Fostering the children at homes who have even biological parents.
  
• Lack of knowledge on residential care facilities and child rights
  
• Lack of long term vision and planning (i.e. like Mushroom farming).
  
• Lack of strong monitoring mechanism
  
• Lack of alternative cares (homes should be last resort)
  
• Mostly run under charity and mercy of the religious community on faith based.
  
• Need to rehabilitate about 1500 plus children under risk condition from poorly manage child care home immediately.
  
• Governmental run child care homes are in under risk conditions and need to be properly managed.

Prospects:

• Concern agencies have shown their interest to tackle the issue
  
• Media agencies have given priority to highlight the issue
  
• Social awareness increased
  
• *CCWB has formed multi sectoral monitoring committee
  
• Initial attempts have been found fruitful
  
• Credible child focused institutions have extended their helping hands
  
• *CNET-Nepal has shown their interest to combat the issue.

Government's Recent Initiation

• Child Helpline- Nepal (toll free ) number : 1098
  
• National Center for Children at Risk (toll free Number 104 for Lost and found Children in Kathmandu.)
  
• Mobilizing Central Child Rescue Fund
  
• Establishing of Juvenile Bench
  
• Establishing of Child Care Home Monitoring Committee
  
• Allocation of Fund to all 3915 VDC

*CCWB: Central Child Welfare Board; CNET-Nepal: Child care Homes Net- Nepal

November 2007, CWIN-Nepal

*Source: CNET, CCWB, Concern, CWIN National Resource Centre on Child Rights and Children in Conflict and paper presented on " Interaction programme for strategy Development to Combat the issue of Child Care Homes by CCHMC, CCWB - 6/2007Kathmandu