Priority on children's well-being

The Star

09-05-2025

PETALING JAYA: The upgraded National Children's Policy focuses on the different challenges that youth now face with the rise of new forms of crimes, violence, exploitation and neglect.
In 2023, the Welfare Department recorded 8,041 cases of abuse and mistreatment of children, while as of June 2024, there were 3,957 cases.
In 2022, there were 6,770 such cases.
The policy, which has not been revised since its introduction in 2009, focuses on the challenges and targeted interventions of different groups of children at the various stages of their life, said Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri.
This is because the quality of life is different for children who are born and raised in urban and rural areas, or who are from indigenous communities, said the Women, Family and Community Development Minister.
The policy's upgraded action plan is comprehensive, and also deals with children with disabilities, children in conflict with the law and children at risk, Nancy told The Star recently.
'The action plan will be monitored under the National Council for Children (MKBKK) which is managed by the Child Develop­ment Department (JPKK) and Welfare Department,' Nancy said.
'Overall, this policy contains four objectives — survival, protection, development and participation — and 16 strategic priorities to meet them.
'These objectives take into account the four fundamental principles in the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC),' she said after chairing the first National Council for Children meeting.
Nancy further explained that under the survival objective, programmes are crafted to allow children to access opportunities for a healthy and safe life through public health services and social assistance.
This is followed by strengthening the protection of children from any form of violence, exploitation, abuse and neglect, and to rehabilitate and integrate victims back into family and society, she added.
The development pillar ensures that all children can reach their optimum potential physically, cognitively, linguistically, socio-emotionally, personally and spiritually.
Increasing opportunities for meaningful participation in matters relating to their interest and well-being for all children regardless of their level of ability is part of the participation objective, she said.
'In order to meet all these objectives, the action plan consists of steps, indicators, targets, year of implementation, executors and outcome.
'Some of the strategies used to achieve this will include integration programmes targeting parents or caretakers, capacity building and training programmes and coordinating advocacy and awareness campaigns,' she said.
As part of this policy to expand the landscape of child protection and care, Nancy said the Family-Based Care Pilot Project, which ran from July 2019 until July 2024, was also carried out.
This project was implemented by JKM at four selected homes, namely the Rumah Kanan-Kanak Tengku Budriah in Cheras, Shelter Homes in Petaling Jaya, Pusat Jagaan Kanak-Kanak Vivekananda in Rembau and Rumah Kanak-Kanak Rembau, she added.
The development of the upgraded National Children Policy with its action plan began in October 2020.
During the process, the draft policy was distributed multiple times to all the relevant ministries, departments and agencies with the final one sent out in July 2023 to obtain the necessary feedback.
Subsequently, the draft was approved and finalised by all relevant stakeholders during the National Children's Policy Development Steering Committee and Action Plan meeting that was held on July 20, 2023.
Apart from that, a Cabinet memorandum was distributed twice on Nov 6, 2023 and Jan 31, 2024 with 23 positive reviews from ministries and departments.