Criteria for a child-safe home

(Baonghean) - "Safe house" is one of the models that the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs has been implementing since 2011, aiming to reduce accidents and injuries to children.

According to statistics, Nghe An currently has 188,748 households that meet safe house standards, however, in reality, do these houses ensure and maintain safety criteria?

Lack of substance

Mr. Chu Van Nguyen's family - one of the families granted a safe house certificate in Phong Hao hamlet, Hung Hoa commune (Vinh city). The flat-roofed house is clean, tidy, and has basic living facilities.

However, it seems that the arrangement and placement of household items is not suitable and poses risks to children. In the house, electrical outlets are scattered within the reach of children, items such as thermoses, gas cylinders, gas stoves... are placed on the ground, without doors... If compared with the criteria for a safe home, it is clear that Mr. Chu Van Nguyen's family's house does not meet them.

Gas stoves, gas cylinders, thermoses… are placed within children’s reach in the safe house of Mr. Chu Van Nguyen, Phong Hao hamlet, Hung Hoa commune. Photo: Phuoc Anh

Hung Hoa Commune is the locality chosen by the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs of Vinh City to build a model of safe houses for children since 2015. According to the report, the statistics of safe houses increase every year. If in 2015 only 86% of families met the criteria, then by the end of 2016 it was 90%, and up to now it is 96%.

Ms. Hoai Thuong - policy officer of Hung Hoa Commune People's Committee said that the commune only grants certificates to houses that meet safety criteria, and for households that do not meet the criteria, they "let them owe the criteria". However, there are many households that have "owed" for several years and still have not been able to "pay".

Ms. Dang Thi Lan's family is an example. The house faces the street but has no gate, the water tank in the toilet area lacks a cover, the electrical outlet system, wires... are still within reach of children...

The water tank in Ms. Dang Thi Lan's house in Phong Hao hamlet, Hung Hoa commune (Vinh city) lacks a cover. This could be one of the risks for children. Photo: Phuoc Anh

In fact, in many localities, there are criteria that are very difficult to achieve. For example, in Hung Hoa commune - a commune with more than 500 hectares of water surface (rivers, lakes, ponds, swamps...), most of which surround residential areas, with a high risk of drowning. There are 3-4 cases of drowning in this place every year.

On the other hand, if following the criteria for safe houses issued by the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, the criterion "Around ponds, water tanks, lime pits, and drainage pipes in residential areas must have sturdy fences to ensure safety for children"... The leaders of Hung Hoa commune are wondering when this will be achieved!

Cannot just "empty" propaganda

Ms. Le Thi Nguyet - Head of the Department of Child Protection, Care and Gender Equality, Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs said: In the period from 2011 - 2016, the Provincial People's Committee allocated about 300 million VND for the work of preventing and combating child injuries.

Just for building the safe house model, there is only a budget for communication, printing leaflets, brochures... and support of 10 million VND/model, each district has only 1-2 models/year. Limited budget makes the program's effectiveness low, spreading and replication poor.

Hung Hoa Commune (Vinh City) currently has more than 500 hectares of rivers, ponds, lakes, lagoons... most of which have no fences, posing a potential risk of drowning accidents for children. Photo: Phuoc Anh

In addition, the lack of substance in building safe house models also comes from the limited awareness of the people. Many local policy officials shared that when propagating and mobilizing families to build safe house models, many people reacted, thinking that the officials were "drawing an elephant on paper" and that the houses and living conditions were still the same after so many years, so what?

There are people who justify that they do not have the financial means to renovate or change their house, while what they need to fix most does not require money, but sometimes just changing their habits and behaviors of placing water bottles, lighters... haphazardly, or loosely screwed electrical outlets loosely attached to the wall...

Phuoc Anh