No.350/2020-2021

As COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread in the state, a joint meeting between Health Department and Social Welfare Department regarding ‘Care Centre for Children with COVID-19 infected mother/guardian’ was held today at the SAD Conference Hall, MINECO.
The meeting was chaired by Health Minister Dr. R.Lalthangliana, who said that it had recently come to the notice of the Government that there were mothers/guardians who tested positive for novel corona-virus infection and had to be taken away to CCC for treatment and meanwhile, their children did not have anybody at home to look after them while their parents / guardians were hospitalized/quarantined at the COVID Care Centres. Hence, with a view to solve this problem, the Government has decided to prepare an institutional care centre for children whose mothers/guardians have test positive for the infection and who may need temporary shelter and care elsewhere.

It was decided in the meeting that Bal Bhavan, ITI Veng be assigned as the Institutional Care Centre for these children/minors, for as long as was necessary. The children in the Centre will be under the protection of Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 and The Mizoram Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Rules, 2019. A standard operational procedure for Quarantine Facility will be strictly followed and volunteers from Social Workers will be engaged to look after the children. Counseling, access to socialization as well as playtime for their psycho-social wellbeing will also be prioritized.