Every child has the opportunity to learn, be cared for and protected.
(Baonghean.vn) - Child care and protection has always been a focus of Nghe An province. In the face of the complicated developments of the Covid-19 epidemic, over the past year the province has made continuous efforts to ensure that every child has the opportunity to study, be cared for and protected.
The subject of primary concern
In the face of the Covid-19 pandemic in the province, children are the most concerned subjects as thousands of children have to follow their parents back to their hometowns with many hardships on the way home. From April to December 2021 alone, the whole province welcomed 7,109 children back to their hometowns with their parents. 228 children were infected with Covid-19. By November 26, 2021, 1,978 children had received support and assistance from individuals and organizations. Departments, branches and organizations have created the best conditions for each child to receive food, water, milk and medical care at each stop.
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| Organizing Mid-Autumn Festival at the Provincial Social Center. Photo: Thanh Nga |
In that context, the Provincial People's Committee has directed districts, Vinh city and towns to build centralized quarantine facilities in the locality to receive citizens from the southern provinces and cities. Timely deploy measures to protect children in the context of the epidemic, quickly coordinate to update the number, make lists and needs of children in socially distanced areas, centralized quarantine facilities and use the budget or other mobilized resources to support nutrition, essential supplies, medicine and additional medical supplies for children with the motto of not letting any child in need encounter difficulties without timely support.
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| Giving gifts of dolls, comics, and candy to children in quarantine areas. Photo courtesy |
At the same time, parents and relatives of children are being informed to guide their children to properly comply with Covid-19 prevention measures, ensuring children's rights in the context of epidemic prevention. The Education sector has connected and supported children who are qualified and healthy to return to school at local educational institutions. Children from families with difficult circumstances have been informed and promptly supported and helped by local authorities, organizations and individuals, including mobilized resources from the Provincial Children's Support Fund and the Vietnam Children's Support Fund.
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| Special Mid-Autumn Festival in the Quarantine Area. Photo: NVCC |
In addition, to carry out epidemic prevention and control work, many children in the whole province have had their studies interrupted. Many localities have had to continuously let their children study online, however, many children in difficult areas do not have equipment and internet; many children do not have a study space at home to meet the needs of online learning. Some children have difficulty studying online when they do not have parents or relatives to accompany and help them.
To solve the above problems, the Department of Education and Training has directed schools to develop teaching plans based on the specific conditions of each unit, parents and students of each class. School principals proactively and flexibly use many solutions and forms of teaching organization such as: Direct, online, online combined with direct, or other solutions such as direct assignment, assignment form, via zalo, messenger..., to complete the program.
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| Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Bui Dinh Long presents gifts on the occasion of Mid-Autumn Festival at the Provincial Social Work Center. Photo: Thanh Nga |
At the same time, many political organizations and schools have coordinated to check every student in difficult circumstances who lack equipment, classifying students from poor households, near-poor households, and other groups, etc., thereby providing timely support solutions. Localities and the education sector have also checked every school and every student's family without electricity or access to television and internet, reporting to the Provincial People's Committee; coordinating with telecommunications service providers to upgrade services, improve technical solutions, and increase data transmission speed.
To immediately overcome the lack of signal and computers, the Education sector has proactively coordinated with the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Nghe An province to direct and guide schools and localities to call for and mobilize donations to support online learning equipment under the program "Radio and Computer for Children" launched by the Government. Building a "Library of equipment to support students in difficult circumstances" to store donated electronic devices, support distribution to educational institutions and students to borrow. Along with that, the Youth Union went to each student's house to guide the installation and use of online teaching software, and lend equipment. Preschool teachers and retired teachers took turns directly supporting first graders during online learning time...
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| Children of SOS Children's Village Vinh enjoy the Mid-Autumn Festival. Photo by Duc Anh |
As of December 15, 2021, Nghe An province had 1,483 F0 children and 9,024 F1 children who had to be quarantined, some of whom were not accompanied by their parents, causing disruptions in daily activities, psychological stress, and other pressures that directly affected the health and social psychology of children.
In that situation, the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs produced 300 banners and slogans; reproduced 15,000 leaflets on what you need to know to take care of yourself in quarantine facilities to prevent and control the Covid-19 epidemic; safety instructions for children and women in centralized quarantine facilities to prevent and control the Covid-19 epidemic; a handbook on preventing and preventing accidents and injuries for children at home during the Covid-19 epidemic; issued guidance documents and sent communication links on Covid-19 prevention and control to communicate on mass media, social networks, centralized quarantine locations with many children and educational facilities, and children who must be quarantined at home.
Due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the number of children in special and difficult circumstances has increased. The Provincial People's Committee has promptly directed the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs to mobilize resources to support them. At the same time, promptly support children who need to be treated due to Covid-19 infection or quarantined according to the decision of competent state agencies under Resolution 68/NQ-CP dated July 1, 2021. Support children of pregnant women infected with Covid-19; orphans affected by Covid-19, families in difficult circumstances according to Decision No. 1013/QD-LDTBXH dated September 8, 2021 of the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs on support for children of pregnant women infected with Covid-19.
Practical actions
To strengthen the direction of the work of protecting, caring for and educating children in the province, the Provincial People's Committee advised the Provincial Party Committee to issue Directive No. 06-CT/TU dated June 11, 2021 of the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee and Plan No. 488/KH-UBND dated August 23, 2021 of the Provincial People's Committee to implement Directive No. 06 of the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee on strengthening the Party's leadership in the work of protecting, caring for and educating children in Nghe An province, Plan No. 17/KH-UBND dated January 14, 2021 on continuing to strengthen the effectiveness and efficiency of implementing policies and laws on preventing and combating child abuse; strengthening measures to ensure the implementation of children's rights and child protection in Nghe An province; Decision No. 840/QD-UBND dated April 1, 2021 approving the National Action Program for Children for the 2021-2030 period of Nghe An province.
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| Drawing and presentation contest in response to International Day of the Girl Child. Photo: My Ha |
Through the implementation of documents on child protection and care, 100% of violations related to children were detected and handled promptly, with the right people and the right crimes, creating trust, a sense of security, protection, and sharing for children and families with abused children. The Provincial Child Protection and Care Committee has coordinated to direct and guide localities to effectively implement the process of supporting and intervening in children who are victims of violence, abuse, and trafficking; effectively manage the activities of all types of facilities providing child protection services and social protection facilities that nurture children; strengthen communication, raise awareness, and change behaviors to implement children's rights and goals related to child protection and care; promote the National Child Protection Hotline (111). Direct the implementation of 15 pilot models on child protection, care, and education. The number of cases and defendants of child abuse and trafficking in 2021 decreased sharply compared to 2020.
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| The joy of Khmu children with a new game. Photo: Dinh Tuan |
In 2021, the work of preventing accidents and injuries to children, especially drowning prevention, has been actively directed by the province with many synchronous solutions, with the close and regular coordination of all levels, sectors and localities. The Provincial Party Committee issued Directive No. 06-CT/TU on strengthening the leadership of Party committees at all levels on children's work; The Provincial People's Committee issued Plan No. 625/KH-UBND on preventing and combating child injuries in the province for the period 2021 - 2030 in Nghe An province and many documents to direct and 2 online meetings on the work of preventing and combating child injuries; organized 2 online launching ceremonies: Action Month for Children and signing of commitments "Safe Summer for Children", "Prevention of child drowning accidents in 2021".
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| The joy of highland children when they have new toys. Photo: Dinh Tuan |
Communication, training, and seminars to raise awareness about child drowning prevention have been intensified in districts, cities, and towns. Many localities have regularly inspected potential drowning spots for children; called on people to contribute, improve, and clean the environment at natural beaches, streams, and dams; supported children to learn to swim, and opened free swimming classes for children when epidemic prevention conditions were guaranteed.
To protect and care for children in especially difficult circumstances, the Provincial People's Committee issued a "Project to mobilize social resources to support children in extremely difficult communes in ethnic minority and mountainous areas; children in special and difficult circumstances in Nghe An province in the period of 2021-2025". And documents directing and urging the implementation of child protection and care during the Covid-19 pandemic; caring for children of pregnant women with Covid-19 and children orphaned by the Covid-19 pandemic and in difficult circumstances; organizing many forms of mobilizing resources from philanthropists, businesses, agencies and units located in the locality to support and help children in special circumstances.
In 2021, more than 17 billion VND was mobilized (including cash, in-kind and technical expertise); 13,469/13,469 children in special circumstances were assisted in many forms (reaching 100%), of which: 8,780 children received social assistance, 4,041 children received assistance in other forms; visited, gave gifts and helped 60,615 children at risk of falling into special circumstances. The rate of children in special and difficult circumstances being protected and cared for reached 95%, an increase of 1% compared to 2020.
Thus, in 2021, with many fluctuations and difficulties in all aspects of social life, Nghe An province has always given top priority to the protection, care and education of children. All children are guaranteed to exercise their basic rights and "no child is left behind".