A total of 166 children are currently under the care of the Department of Social Welfare and looked after at the nine residential homes in Fiji.
Minister for Social Welfare, Women and Poverty Alleviation Dr. Jiko Luveni said as the government has increased the monthly allowances paid to all the children in Residential Homes to $100 per child.
Dr. Luveni said the Pearly Gates Home formerly known as Mahaffy Girls Home receives the annual budget of $100,000 while the Boys Centre receives $903,644.
Dr. Luveni said some of these children are just month old babies who have been abandoned at hospitals while most of them are 10 years to 18 years old who come from a single parent family cared by foster parents and guardians.
She said a few of them have been victims of neglect and abuse.
The Ministry also administers Care and Protection program which currently has 1,996 beneficiaries of which a total of 5,504 are children assisted under this program.
The nine residential homes include Dilkusha Girls Home, St. Christopher’s Home, Treasure Homes in Nadi that looks after the infants, Saint Meena’s Home, Mahaffy Girls Home, Boys Centre, Veilomani Boys Home, Homes of Hope and Lomani Au Home.
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