The Women and Child Development department of Kerala has decided to provide nutritious snacks to children living in child care institutions or homes under the State Nirbhaya Cell.

The State Nirbhaya Cell has 23 homes under it. Except for the Tejomaya Aftercare Home for young adults at Ernakulam and the Integrated Care Centre for pregnant survivors of sexual abuse, the other homes have around 300 children who are survivors of sexual crimes and cannot live in their own homes owing to safety concerns. The children are as young as four and have health issues ranging from minor illnesses to serious diseases. Some of them are under treatment for psychiatric issues and some are differently abled. These children often belong to marginalised sections or from economically backward families and hail from hilly, coastal, or slum areas.

An amount of ₹2,650 per child is allowed a month to the homes for meeting the food, clothing, medical care, education, skill training, and safety needs of these children. However, ensuring nutritious food for physical and mental growth of the children and adolescents in this fixed amount has become difficult. The absence of balanced food leads to stunting, malnutrition, or lack of micronutrients in children of growing age.

The government has now given administration sanction for ₹12 lakh to ensure additional nutrition for these children – that is ₹500 each for the 300-odd children in these homes.

Medical camp

It has directed directed that a medical camp be conducted in association with the Health department in all the homes, and the children’s growth, nutritional status, and health analysed. Based on the directions of physician, dietician, or nutritionist, the funds can be used to provide nutrient-rich food to children who are not well. The funds can also be used to provide all the children in the homes nutritious snacks such as peanuts, peanut candy, sesame seed balls, dates or other dried fruits, cashews, and so on.

The initiative will run for eight months – from this month (August) to March next year (2027) – and will be supervised by the home management committee concerned, according to a government order.