Advocating the Rights of Children (ARC) is gravely concerned to find out about the unsafe and little-known “safe homes” established by the Government, which temporarily house children who are taken into State Care. These are operated as accommodation blocks annexed to the Family and Children Service Centre (FCSC) branches in different Atolls and are presently located in Hdh. Kulhudhufushi, Sh.Funadhoo, GDh. Thinadhoo and Th. Veymandoo.
These “safe homes” are inadequately furnished, lack basic essentials and are often understaffed. As a result, children placed in these shelters do not have access to proper care, protection, education and other facilities. Although designed as temporary stopovers en route to ‘safer shelters’, it is now evident that children have spent many months in these unsuitable conditions. It is equally alarming that in addition to these safe homes, a number of children have also been temporarily housed in ill-equipped FCSCs in Atolls, for long durations.
From these FCSCs and safe homes, children taken into State Care are then transferred to Kudakudhinge Hiya and Amaan Hiya in Villingili (presently housing 39 children aged 9-18), Safe Home in Villingili (housing 13 children) and the newly opened Fiyavathi in Hulhumale’ (home to 82 children 0-9 years). The Education and Training Centre for Children (ETCC) in Maafushi which recently housed 7 children is presently closed for renovation, after a barrage of serious problems were brought to light, including the unsafe physical structure of the building, prevalence of violence, and the lack of access to education and services, including inadequate counselling for the children in their care.
ARC is also deeply concerned about the health and wellbeing of 4 young children currently residing in the Home for People with Special Needs, in Guraidhoo, in the same living quarters along with adults who have serious mental conditions/illnesses. ARC would like to reiterate that the United Nations, in it’s Concluding Observations on the combined fourth and fifth periodic report of Maldives report published by the Committee on the Rights of the Child on 29 January 2016, strongly called on the Government of the Maldives to “immediately remove children from the Home for People with Special Needs and stop placing children in this institution and to investigate all cases of abuse, discrimination and violence against children within alternative care institutions.
ARC calls on the Government to ensure the safety and well being of each and every child placed in shelters in the Maldives, and to urgently address the serious issues in all establishments under its care, irrelevant of the duration for which the children are placed in the shelters. ARC also reiterates its call for the Government to urgently adopt and implement the Regulations on Minimum Standards for Children’s Homes, Regulations on State Custody and Regulations on Foster Care. ARC also urges the Parliament to speedily pass the “Child Protection Act” and the relevant institutions to submit the “Juvenile Justice Act” to the Parliament at the earliest.
ARC has also met with the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives today, to brief the Commission on the serious issues prevalent in the shelters.