Latest news with #NationalChildren'sPolicy
The Star
09-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Action plan needed for policy to be effective
PETALING JAYA: For the National Children's Policy to be effective, the government must set a social protection floor for children and announce the policy's deliverables along with its action plan, say experts. Unicef social policy specialist Tham Yin Yee said a social protection floor will ensure that the policy is inclusive and that no child is left behind. 'Access to basic income security, for example in the form of universal monthly child grants, can play a transformative role in reducing child poverty and ensure access to essential services,' she said when contacted. Such a mechanism can also protect children from child labour, dropping out from school and malnutrition, Tham added. The policy's action plan also demonstrates that the government is laying out clear steps for implementation. But the plan must come with a monitoring and evaluation framework to track progress, identify bottlenecks and make more data-driven decisions, she said. 'The development of this plan through wide-ranging consultations with ministries, non-profit organisations, legislators, academia, parents and children is a strong example of participatory policy-making'. The government must also test what works in different contexts to ensure that programmes are responsive, efficient and sustainable. 'The government's ongoing work in professionalising the social service workforce is also vital for delivering quality care and protecting vulnerable children. 'Strengthening collaboration with all stakeholders is crucial to explore innovative financing models and increased investment in children,' she said, adding that Unicef is ready to share technical expertise and global best practices. These steps will not only improve child well-being but help the country prepare for caring for an ageing population, Tham said. Consultant paediatrician and child-disability activist Datuk Dr Amar-Singh HSS echoed these points, saying that having an action plan and clear deliverables will ensure that the policy does not remain a glossy document. Although he praised the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry for engaging with civil society and the private sector, he said the action plan should be shared online for the benefit of all stakeholders. 'The policy focuses on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) key aspects of survival, protection, development and participation – it includes aspects of health, education, safety and welfare. 'These are all vital areas in the lives of many children in Malaysia – those who need protection from abuse and harm, those living in poverty, children with disabilities, those without access to healthcare, education and an identity. 'Overarching all of this is the need to listen to children and involve them in the plans and decisions that affect their lives,' he said.
The Star
09-05-2025
- The Star
Priority on children's well-being
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.
