DNA Explainer: Know of any child who lost both parents due to COVID? Here's what you need to do

Amid the COVID era, there are several messages being circulated on social media that are appealing for the adoption of children whose parents have passed away due to COVID-19.

The government has issued guidelines for the rehabilitation of children who lost their parents due to Covid-19. Advising people to refrain from engaging in or promoting such acts that violate legal provisions, the Women and Child Development Ministry set the law process for the rehabilitation of children.

Procedure of helping children-

The ministry said that if any child is found to have lost parents to COVID, with no one to look after them, the child ought to be produced before the District Child Welfare Committee (CWC) within 24 hours, excluding the journey time.

"The CWC shall ascertain the immediate need of the child and pass appropriate orders for rehabilitation of the child, either to restore the child to caregivers or place her/him in institutional or non-institutional care, on case to case basis," the WCD Ministry said in a public notice.

The ministry said that as far as possible, efforts will be made to sustain the children in their family and community environment. Their safety in their surroundings will be ensured and their interests will be protected as stated in the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.

"If the child is restored to any kind of kinship care, the CWC will continue to check the well-being of the child on regular basis. Care must be taken to protect the identity of the child avoid undue distress as provisioned under Section 74 of the Act," the WCD Ministry said.

It may be noted that the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015 provides for the procedure to be followed for children who have lost their family support and have become a child in need of care and protection. The procedure under the JJ Act, 2015 ensures that the child is provided with all the minimum standards of care and the rights of such child are upheld and protected.

The Ministry has also stated that the State Governments have been advised to use the digital platform for negotiation in exceptional cases where in-person contact is not possible due to restrictions related to Covid-19 in the present circumstances.

The ministry said that information about any child who lost both parents can be shared with Childline (1098). The local childline unit will help produce the child before the CWC within 24 hours.

The Ministry said that those who wish to adopt orphaned children can contact the Central Adoption Resource Authority (cara.nic.in) for lawful adoptions.