Over 70 children in state care placed with families

More than 70 children in state care have been placed with foster families, says Social and Family Development Minister Dr. Aishath Shiham, in a message on occasion of National Children’s Day.

The theme for this year’s Children’s Day is ‘Ufaaveri Vaguthu, Ufaaveri Gulhun, Ufaaveri Kudhin’, which loosely translates to ‘Happy Times, Happy Relationships, Happy Kids.’

In her video message on Saturday, Aishath said the theme reflects two things that play a crucial role ensuring a happy future for children; the essential role that the love, care and attention children receive during the precious time they spend with their parents play on shaping their character, and the importance of the care, support and courage children gain from their familial bonds for their social and mental wellbeing.

“No doubt, a family environment where children receive love and protection is the best environment for their upbringing, and to build their character and behavior, and teach them social skills,” she said.

Aishath said that while there are sometimes situations where children must be taken into state care, research shows that shelters are not the best the best environment for the social and mental wellbeing of children.

She said that it is therefore the vision of President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu to ensure that all children, including those taken into care, grow up in a family environment where they receive the care, safety and protection they need.

“For this, he launched a special program in his first 14 weeks in office called ‘Konme Kujjakah Aailaa Eh.’ These were massive efforts initiated to have children in care return to their biological families by improving their family situation, strengthen the fostering system to establish a mechanism for temporary fostering, and provide children with a family environment. So far, 72 children in state care have been provided family environments through these efforts,” she said.

She thanked the public for their support in finding families for children in care, describing it as a beautiful example of communal efforts to ensure each child grows up in a safe and loving environment.