Nearly 4,400 children orphaned after the pandemic

Covid-19 has left nearly 4,400 children orphaned, 300 of whom are being raised and educated at FPT 's Hope School in Da Nang, according to a report by the Committee for Culture and Education.

By the end of 2022, there were 144 children nationwide who had lost both parents, more than 4,200 children who had lost one parent, most of whom lived with their families or relatives. Localities will base their support plans on the wishes of children and guardians.

"Putting children in social assistance facilities should only be the last resort. They need to be given priority care by relatives to replace their deceased parents," the Committee for Culture andEducation stated.

Little boy Quang Khanh ( Hanoi ) sleeps soundly on the day he joins Hy Vong School in Da Nang, before the 2022-2023 school year. Quang Khanh and his brother Quang Thanh lost their father due to Covid-19. Photo: Nguyen Dong

According to statistics, there are currently about 141,200 orphans in the country. Nearly 83% of them are living in family environments and 17% in social assistance facilities. The physical conditions in many facilities have deteriorated, there are very few private rooms for psychological counseling and a lack of equipment, affecting the children's quality of life.

The National Assembly agency believes that although there have been some solutions to support orphans, Vietnam still does not have a comprehensive national program on alternative care for children in special circumstances; there is no policy to support children who have lost one parent and the other parent has left to work far away, remarried, or does not raise the children.

The Committee on Culture and Education recommends that the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs and relevant ministries and branches promptly develop a master plan to submit to the Government, prioritizing alternative care solutions for orphans at home and in the community instead of social protection facilities.

According to Decree 20 of 2021, the social assistance standard is 360,000 VND per month, only 24% of the rural poverty line for the period 2022-2025. This assistance standard is the basis for determining subsidies for orphans and many other groups receiving social protection. Some localities have paid higher levels, such as Quang Ninh 500,000 VND per month, Ba Ria - Vung Tau 450,000 VND, Hai Duong 380,000 VND.

The Committee for Culture and Education proposed that the Government soon amend Decree 20 to raise this standard level, with localities adding groups of children in need of assistance depending on their conditions and raising the support level to VND360,000 higher than the current regulation. The Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs is proposing two options to raise the social assistance standard level to VND500,000 or VND750,000.

Phuong Ha

Source link: https://vnexpress.net/gan-4-400-tre-mo-coi-sau-dai-dich-4670493.html