• There is no system to audit whether the children receive the amount of approximately 30,000 rupees allocated for each child staying in child care centers – Officials present at the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Women and Child Affairs states
• Existing laws are adequate, there are many practical issues in the law enforcement mechanism – officials
• It is everyone’s responsibility to utilize all monetary allocations to the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs for social welfare in the best possible way to do good to the people – Minister emphasizes
The Hon. Minister of Women and Child Affairs (Mrs.) Saroja Savithri Paulraj, stated that there are 379 Child Care Centers operating across Sri Lanka, of which 47 are state-owned. The Minister further pointed out that all other Child Care Centers are maintained with the aid and assistance provided by the non-governmental organizations and the private sector.
Additionally, she mentioned that a sum of Rs. 500 million has been allocated by this year’s budget to improve the capacity, physical infrastructure, and human resource development of Child Care Centers across the country.
Hon. Minister Saroja Savithri Paulraj made these remarks during the first meeting of the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Women and Child Affairs, which was held on 2025.02.21 at Parliament under her Chairmanship.
During this meeting, officials stated that when considering local and foreign aid for children’s homes and funds received through various channels via the department, approximately Rs. 30,000 is allocated per child. However, they further pointed out that there is no proper mechanism in place to audit whether this amount is being rightfully received by the children.
It was also disclosed that certain Child Care Centers have been shut down due to inspections conducted by probation officers and that some centers have been identified as engaging in various forms of misconduct affecting the children. Hon. Members of Parliament raised concerns regarding these issues during the discussion. Addressing these concerns, The Hon. Minister and Chair stated that a systematic mechanism is being formulated to regulate Child Care Centers.
The Hon. Minister also emphasized that the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs is not a revenue-generating ministry but is primarily dedicated to enhancing social welfare at the rural and economic levels. Therefore, she highlighted the importance of ensuring that all funds and allocations made to the ministry are utilized to the maximum extent for the betterment of society and the people.
The Ministerial Consultative Committee also directed its attention to the difficulties faced by Bhikkhunis due to complications in the process of obtaining their National Identity Cards and discussed the need to establish a mechanism to address these issues promptly.
Furthermore, concerns were raised by Members of Parliament regarding children of schooling age scrounging near supermarkets and children being employed for various commercial purposes. Officials representing the National Child Protection Authority stated that while existing laws are sufficient to address these issues, there are numerous practical challenges in enforcing these laws effectively.
The Ministerial Consultative Committee was attended by the Deputy Minister of Women and Child Affairs (Dr.) Namal Sudarshana, Hon. Minister of Justice and National Integration, Harshana Nanayakkara, Attorney at Law, Hon. Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, (Dr.) Hiniduma Sunil Senevi, Hon. Minister of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources, Ramalingam Chandrasekar, along with Committee members, other Members of Parliament, officials representing the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs, and representatives from affiliated institutions.
