78% ineligible children staying in Karnali Province foster homes

By Rajani Yogi,Surkhet, Mar. 16: More than 650 children from Karnali Province have been reunited with their families in last two decades.

According to the data released by the Himalayan Innovative Society covering the period from 2006 to 2025, a total of 676 children were handed over to their families during this period.

Surendra Lama Tamang of the society informed that 967 children were rescued from 42 orphanages, with the highest number being from Karnali Province. The data indicates that children from the Humla district are found in various childcare homes across the country.

Despite legal provisions allowing only orphaned or guardian-less children to stay in foster homes as a last resort, it has been found that many children residing in these homes do have parents.

The Society's data reveals that 66 per cent of childcare homes are located in urban centres like Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur, Kaski and Chitwan districts. Likewise, 33 per cent of the children reside in childcare homes, totalling 1,882 children.

A report published by the National Child Rights Council of Karnali Province indicates that only 22 per cent of children currently in childcare homes require such services, while 78 per cent do not need to stay in these facilities.

Dambar Rokaya, coordinator of the National Child Rights Council of Karnali Province, said that around 60 per cent of the children in these homes do have either a mother or a father. This contradicts the state policy, which prohibits placing children with available parents in childcare homes.

According to standards for the operation and management of residential childcare homes, children should only be placed in these facilities if both parents are dead or if their guardians are physically or mentally incapable of taking care of them.

Rokaya added that three primary groups of children are commonly found in childcare homes -- those from economically disadvantaged families, children with disabilities and those placed in homes by parents from remote areas hoping to provide better education opportunities in urban schools.

Child marriage and child labour

Children make up 40 per cent of Karnali Province's total population of 1,688,412, as per the 2021 census. This includes 345,429 boys and 331,556 girls. Among these, 304,184 children require special or alternative care.

According to the National Child Welfare Council, 41,000 children in Karnali have been victims of child marriage, which has deprived them of various rights. Similarly, over 137,000 children, accounting for more than 20 per cent of the total child population, are engaged in child labour due to economic hardship, geographical challenges and lack of awareness among parents.

The National Institute of Contemporary Studies (NICS) reported that around 25,363 children in Karnali Province, nearly 4 per cent of the child population, live away from their parents. 

The economic downturn caused by COVID-19 has contributed to this trend. Furthermore, 3,287 children live with other close relatives and 95,534 children are being raised by a single parent. Over 2,000 children are still residing in various childcare homes.