The District Child Development Committee, which examines the progress of the district in relation to child protection and child development, met today (14) in the morning under the chairmanship of District Secretary Mr. Ranjana Jayasinghe at the secretariat auditorium.

Accordingly, the problems of child health, drugs, child abuse and child maltreatment, education, trust, security and institutionalization, and the problems of regional children's committees at the division level were discussed here.

Until now in 2023, the Dangerous Drugs Control Board has informed 32,293 people through eighty-five programs regarding the prevention of drug addiction. Meanwhile, the Dangerous Drugs Control Board has launched programs to bring Kegalle district to the first place in the island in terms of drug control.

It was revealed that there is a shortage of Tamil media teachers for pre-childhood development centers and necessary steps are being taken for that purpose. It was also mentioned here that the necessary measures to provide learning kits for one hundred pre-schools in Kegalle district within January of next year are being implemented.

At-risk children are continuously identified through probation offices in Ruwanwella, Mawanella, Kegalle and Warakapola Divisional Secretariats. Through seven children's homes for identified children, the Trust has directed and provided care to the children in need of protection.

Attention was paid to child labor and there is no official information that children under the age of sixteen are involved in it, but all institutions are regularly inspected by the Department of Labor.

Also, it was discussed about the loss of care of the children due to the mothers going abroad. Due to the fact that the child's age limit has been reduced to two years, there has been a problematic situation regarding the care and safety of the children.

The program was organized by the District Lama Division.

Additional District Secretary (Administration) K.G.S. Nishantha, Additional District Secretary (Land) Gamlathge Dilip Nishantha, District Welfare Director Mrs. T. A. P. Kusumsiri, Divisional secretaries, officials of government institutions related to children and women's subjects and others were present.