Further promote child care and protection

In 2023, the Provincial Party Committee and People's Committee of Nghe An province promptly concretized the documents of the Central Government, paid attention to leading and directing the implementation of Directive No. 06-CT/TU dated June 11, 2021 of the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee; Decision No. 840/QD-UBND dated April 1, 2021 of the Provincial People's Committee on approving the National Action Program for Children for the period 2021 - 2030 of Nghe An province; Plan No. 231/KH-UBND dated April 4, 2023 on the plan to implement children's work in Nghe An province in 2023 and many other related documents.

Along with that, awareness of Party committees, authorities, sectors, communities and families about the implementation of children's rights and children's issues is increasingly raised, coordination between levels, sectors and communities and families is increasingly close, positive and effective.
Currently, 97% of children in special circumstances in the province are being managed, monitored, assisted, and cared for to recover, integrate into the community, and have opportunities to develop. Although child abuse cases are still decreasing slowly, the number of cases detected and handled has increased. Accidents and injuries (especially child drowning and traffic accidents) have decreased significantly compared to the same period in 2022; the total number of child laborers aged 5 to 17 has shown a clear downward trend.

Programs and projects to protect children, especially children in special circumstances and at risk of falling into special circumstances, have been directed, invested in and mobilized social resources for support. The work of sponsoring, intervening and protecting abused children, children at risk of violence, exploitation, abandonment and children in special circumstances has been gradually improved, strictly following the provisions of the law.
Coordination between sectors, organizations, families, schools and society in caring for, educating and protecting children has been focused on. Children in many places, including remote and disadvantaged areas, have had access to essential support resources and have received physical and mental care.

However, currently in the whole province, there are 13,027 children in special circumstances and 132,285 children at risk of falling into special circumstances, accounting for 14.4% of the total number of children, with 51,943 children living in poor households. This leads to difficulties in child care and protection, because children in especially difficult circumstances and from poor households often live in remote areas, with limited access to education and health services. Children in especially difficult circumstances often have parents and guardians who are also in that situation and are not proactive in accessing support resources for children. Therefore, children who are already in difficulty find it even more difficult to escape poverty and illness.

Another factor that makes child protection and care difficult is that children are now at high risk of being abused online due to their widespread access to and use of technological devices. Many children abuse technological toys, become addicted to games and electronics, leading to exploitation, violence, and abuse online.
Along with that, awareness of the role and responsibility for child protection in general and the work of preventing and combating violence, abuse, trafficking of children, children in violation of the law, and child marriage in particular of some Party committees, authorities, the Fatherland Front and mass organizations from provincial to local levels is not yet complete and profound. Communication and advocacy work, capacity building in the field of child protection is not regular and widespread, especially in mountainous, remote and isolated areas; propaganda, education, and awareness raising for children and students themselves on the prevention and combat of drowning, violence, child abuse, child marriage, etc. as well as issues related to gender and age psychology are still limited.

From the above reality, in the coming time, according to the discussion of comrade Doan Hong Vu - Member of the Provincial Party Committee, Director of the Department of Labor - Invalids and Social Affairs: We will continue to improve the capacity of state management on children; put the goal of protecting, caring for and educating children into the program and plan for socio-economic development in the locality; strengthen inter-sectoral coordination, organize inter-sectoral inspections and examinations on child protection, care and education, focusing on the prevention of drowning, violence, abuse, child marriage and malnutrition prevention...
Departments, branches and localities constantly innovate propaganda work, educate legal knowledge, skills and activities on implementing children's rights and protecting children for all family members, schools and children themselves; continue to organize and coordinate well the work of combating, investigating, verifying, prosecuting and trying crimes violating children's rights, violence and child abuse to ensure strictness, timeliness and correctness.
Training and capacity building for authorities, officials working on children at all levels, collaborators, parents, caregivers and children to raise awareness, knowledge and skills on child protection and implementation of children's rights.
Strengthen the role of the Fatherland Front and mass organizations in supervising the implementation of policies and laws on child protection, care and education; launch a mass movement to protect, care for and educate children; mobilize union members to participate in detecting and denouncing subjects with acts of violence, abuse and exploitation of children; replicate the model of sponsoring children in special circumstances.
Continue to maintain and expand child protection services and consulting offices in districts, cities and towns in the province; replicate models and child consulting points in communities and secondary schools; strengthen social mobilization of activities and services in child protection, care and education.