Kathmandu, January 19 The Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens has issued the model ‘Procedure on Operation of Children’s Home’ for the establishment, operation and management of children’s homes that house and care for orphan, abandoned and helpless children in provincial and local levels. As per the procedure, the objective of establishment, operation and management of children’s home shall be to provide food, shelter and education to beneficiary children; make arrangement of facilities of physical, mental and emotional development, and entertainment of children; manage required teachers; ensure child rights of children living in children’s home in line with the prevailing laws; and bring about uniformity in functions to be performed by children’s homes. The procedure requires the federal, provincial and local levels to meet minimum standards of children’’s homes as set by the Government of Nepal. It shall be applicable to all children’s homes to be operated by private and social organisations. “Any private and social organisation desirous of operating children’s home shall obtain prior approval of the concerned provincial or local level, subject to the prevailing law, standards and this procedure,” the procedure states. The responsibility of carrying out monitoring, regulation and management of the children’s homes shall rest with the concerned level which grants approval for the same. According to the procedure, children’s home should have adequate space and rooms for eating, sleeping and study along with security arrangements; necessary textbooks and educational materials; children-friendly environment free of physical and mental problem of any kind; provision of action against the guilty immediately in case of violence against children and molestation; special arrangements for differently-abled children and disabled-friendly facilities; and separate study rooms, bathrooms and toilets for male and female children. “The concerned children’s home shall have to care for beneficiaries until they attain the age of 18 years. If parent(s) or guardian(s) of any child living in children’s home is traced, he/she shall be reintegrated with the concerned parent or guardian,” it states. As per the procedure, the Government of Nepal may transfer any children’s home being operated by it to a provincial or local level. While doing so, all liabilities, responsibilities, assets and employees shall also be transferred. The Ministry of Social Development of provinces shall oversee the children’s homes operated at the provincial level, while the local level shall be responsible for taking custody of assets of such facilities to be established and operated in a rural municipality or municipality level. The operation cost shall be borne by the Government of Nepal in the case of children’’s home approved by it, while the concerned provincial or local level shall manage the cost for the operation of such facility.