Officials of the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) informed the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Women and Child Affairs that a decision has been taken to provide a monthly allowance of Rs. 10,000 for children aged between 2 and 13 years of parents employed overseas, if those children are enrolled in daycare centres.
The officials made these remarks during the Committee meeting chaired by Minister of Women and Child Affairs Saroja Savithri Paulraj, with the participation of Deputy Minister of Women and Child Affairs Dr. Namal Sudarshana, according to a statement issued by the Department of Communication of Parliament.
The officials of the SLBFE made these comments while responding to inquiries regarding the progress of directives previously issued by the Committee to the Bureau’s General Manager (Local Affairs) concerning social issues arising due to mothers of young children leaving overseas for employment.
Accordingly, the officials stated that the allowance would be granted to families where the monthly income of parents employed overseas exceeds USD 400, and that an initial allocation of Rs. 10 million has been set aside for the programme, the statement said.
They further stated that the approval process related to the initiative is currently in its final stage, following which monthly payments could be made to the relevant registered daycare centres through District Secretariat offices.
Minister Saroja Savithri Paulraj, Chairperson of the Committee, emphasized that steps should be taken to raise public awareness regarding this initiative, which she described as a highly positive measure.
The Committee also discussed the progress of filling vacancies for female police officers, as previously instructed during an earlier Committee meeting.
It was revealed that applications have now been called to recruit 50 female Sub-Inspectors of Police and 2,600 female Police Constables.
An officer representing the Sri Lanka Police informed the Committee that special promotional campaigns have also been launched through social media to recruit female police officers who can speak Tamil.
The Chairperson of the Committee further stressed the need to pay special attention to existing vacancies for Public Health Midwives who can speak Tamil, the statement said.
She also instructed officials to take steps to raise awareness among students who have completed their G.C.E Advanced Level education in the Tamil medium regarding these opportunities.
The Chairperson also inquired into the progress of establishing a national data system by consolidating all data relating to children in Sri Lanka currently maintained by the Department of Probation and Child Care Services, the National Child Protection Authority, and other institutions.
She noted that, with the intervention of the Ministry of Digital Economy, the process of developing the data system is expected to be completed within this year.
The Committee also emphasized the need for all relevant institutions to act in close coordination to facilitate the swift implementation of the law in cases of child abuse and to manage subsequent situations effectively, according to the statement.
Accordingly, Minister Paulraj pointed out that officials representing Divisional Secretariat offices, the Department of Probation and Child Care Services, the National Child Protection Authority, the Sri Lanka Police, and all other relevant institutions should work collaboratively as a single team.
The Chairperson further stated that incidents of abuse against women and children, delays in taking action, or any shortcomings could be reported directly to her at any time via telephone or WhatsApp, and assured that prompt intervention would be made.
The Minister also stated that it is expected to propose, in next year’s budget, measures to increase the allowance for preschool teachers, provide free breakfast to every preschool child, and introduce a contributory pension scheme for preschool teachers, the statement said.
Attention was also drawn to practical issues arising in the transfer of women employed in government service, as well as matters relating to the regulation of preschools and daycare centres.
In addition, Members of Parliament brought to the attention of the Committee various issues relating to women and children’s affairs, and the Committee instructed officials to inquire into those matters and take the necessary action, it added.
A group of officials, including Secretary to the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs W.M.D.T. Wickramasinghe, also attended the Committee meeting.
