Alert on children

By HELEN TARAWA
PARENTS, guardians and businesshouses using children to sell items on the street are liable to fines of up to K10,000, according to Religion, Youth and Community Development Secretary Anna Solomon.
She told The National yesterday that the fines under the Lukautim Pikinini Act ranged from around K5000 to K10,000.
“Children cannot be out there. The law is clear and it holds businesshouses and parents accountable,” she said.
“The Lukautim Pikinini Act focuses on holding parents accountable for their children.”
“The legislation defines negligence and what was in the best interest of a child. So everything is about the protection of a child.”
Solomon said the National Child and Family Services had set up an office to work with line agencies on its enforcement. The legislation was passed in 2015.
“They now have the national child and family protection board. When it comes to sustainability, currently there is no law that’s directing that,” she said.
“The community development learning centres are the hub for the child and family protection services to be delivered.”
The Lukautim Pikinini Council will meet to discuss children’s cases.
Child and Family Services director Simon Yanis said parents and guardians should be responsible for the protection of children.
“If parents abuse and neglect their children, they will be prosecuted,” Yanis said.
“Children are God’s gift and they are innocent. So a family and community must ensure that the child grows up in a safe environment.”
He said the two main concepts created under the Child Protection Policy focused on a child in need of protection and a child with special needs.
“Those instruments are for the implementation and that creates the enabling environment and gives prominence to the issue of protection of children because they now have their own office here,” Yanis said.