The Deputy Minister made these remarks while attending the Kandy District Child and Women Development Sub-Committee meeting and inspecting the Tikiri Sevana State Receiving Home. He explained that providing care for a child does not merely mean keeping them in an institution, and that children must be provided with a family environment filled with love and security.
It was also reported that the government intends to identify existing legal and institutional issues and make the necessary changes to facilitate this process.
Key Points
- Government focuses on providing family care rather than confining children to institutions
- 430,761 children under the age of 19 in the Kandy District
- Rs. 45,000 nutritional allowance provided to 13,785 pregnant and lactating mothers
Facilities for children in the district
It was discussed that 1,142 preschools, 20 child development centres, and 203 daycare centres are operational for the 430,761 children under the age of 19 in the Kandy District.
A number of challenges were discussed, including domestic issues, mothers migrating for overseas employment, the care of children with special needs, and the shortage of safe accommodation facilities. The need for an integrated mechanism to address these matters was highlighted.
Programmes implemented
It was revealed that under early childhood development programmes, a nutritional benefit of Rs. 45,000 had been provided to 13,785 pregnant and lactating mothers as of September 30, 2026.
In addition, morning meals were provided to 9,843 preschool children, while a monthly allowance of Rs. 6,000 was granted to 920 preschool teachers under the 'Guru Abhimani' programme.
What lies ahead?
The Deputy Minister stated that the direct intervention of the Ministry will continue to be provided to resolve these issues going forward.
