Nabarangpur Dec, 02: Under the directions of the Women & Child Development Department, Government of Odisha, the Nabarangpur District Administration and District Child Protection Unit organized a district-level National Child Adoption Awareness Month program at the Ashok Mehta Auditorium, District Collectorate, Nabarangpur.
The meeting was chaired by District Collector Dr. Maheswar Swain, who emphasized that various administrative departments are working to ensure the safety and security of every child in the district, and that every child in society needs a family. Children who are adopted according to the law are protected, and attention is being given to prevent illegal child adoptions.
The District Child Protection Unit, Child Welfare Committee, District Health Department, BDOs, CDPOs, Anganwadi workers, and ASHA workers have been instructed to ensure legal compliance. Any children living with someone other than their parents must be immediately presented to the Child Welfare Committee, failing which they will be declared illegally placed and brought under government care, as advised by the District Collector. All field-level staff will survey children in their areas and submit a list to the District Collector promptly.
Other dignitaries present included DSP Saroj Punam Kispata, District Social Welfare Officer Draupadi Kahna, Additional District Medical Officer Dr. Malay Kumar Tripathy, District Welfare Officer Ravindra Palja, District Planning Officer Anand Palai, Cluster Development Officer Nabarangpur Kshirorad Chandra Sahu, and District Child Protection Officer Suresh Kumar Pattnayak.
Officials from the District Security Unit, Child Adoption Centers (Manager Sagar Pattnayak), One Stop Center staff, Child Protection Assistance Centers, Anganwadi workers, Supervisors, and Gender Code Mentors were also present, making the program a success.
At 10:00 AM, District Collector Dr. Maheswar Swain inaugurated the Child Adoption Awareness Rath by hoisting the flag. This Rath will travel through all 10 blocks of Nabarangpur district, spreading messages about child adoption.
The awareness campaign aims to educate people about:
Child safety
Legal adoption procedures
Preventing children from being exploited
Prohibition of child marriage
Elimination of juvenile crime
Due to a lack of awareness, practices like child marriage still exist in society, depriving children of their fundamental rights. Parents, in the name of tradition, often marry off underage girls before they reach marriageable age, which may also lead to early motherhood.
The District Collector highlighted that the program aims to prevent child abuse, promote legal adoption, ensure child safety, rights, and education, and create widespread awareness among the community.
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