Lalitpur, February 23:

Laws and government policies on adoption should be revised to check malpractices in shelter homes, experts said today, urging the government to act to curb the malpractices.

Punya Prasad Neupane, acting secretary, Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare, said, “Time has come for the stakeholders to focus on problems and find solutions. Existing policies should be revised and laws amended to address the problems.” Speaking at a programme on ‘Status of Shelter Homes and Role of Stakeholders’, Neupane said the amendment to the Child Act will plug loopholes in the Act.

According to the Central Child Welfare Board, over 1500 children must be rescued from shelter homes.

Bijaya Sainju, a member of the CCWB, said children with biological parents are also found living at shelter homes. “Time has come to train caretakers, field workers of shelter homes and arrange psychologists in the shelter homes.”

Acting secretary Neupane said, “Though shelter homes have helped ensure the rights of the needy and destitute children, malpractices by some shelter homes have tainted the image of the shelter homes as a whole.”

“Good and bad practices of the shelter homes also need to be acknowledged.” “The government and other stakeholders are lagging behind in monitoring these homes,” he said, adding there is a need to monitor the homes.

Madhuwanti Tuladhar, gender coordinator at the Plan Nepal, said, “Some shelters are providing shelter to children, who are not in need. While formulating an action plan, the selection process of the children should also be emphasised.”