Shine A Light: Ministry Allowance Not Enough for Child Welfare

A child living in a Residential Home in Fiji receives an allowance of about $4.60 a day, that’s around $138 per month to cater for all the child’s needs.

Realistically, the allowance provided by the Ministry of Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation, through the Department of Children, is not enough.

These Homes provide shelters to babies, toddlers, teenagers, young people above the age of 20, some of whom live with disabilities.

There is almost nothing budgeted to cater for the needs of children living with disabilities.

There are instances where the department approves requests for grants.

But even with the grants, these Homes face the challenge of trying to remain financially afloat because donations are not always consistent from individuals and organisations.

According to Fiji’s child protection legislation, Homes are required to provide quality healthcare and education for these children, while ensuring a safe and secure environment.

How can the Homes execute their mandated roles when it appears that demands by the department are completely disproportionate to the allowance that Homes receive.

Some of the Home operators we spoke to indicated the need for an increase in allowance.

A manager of one of the Homes in Suva, who wished not to be named, said their expenses per month is around $20,000 – more than the allowance they receive from the ministry.

From left: Fiji Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission commissioner Chantelle Khan, commissioner Veena Singh, chairperson Pravesh Sharma, commissioner Alefina Vuki, and director Loukinikini Lewaravu.

From left: Fiji Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission commissioner Chantelle Khan, commissioner Veena Singh, chairperson Pravesh Sharma, commissioner Alefina Vuki, and director Loukinikini Lewaravu.

The Home receives an allowance of about $2900 a month for children cared by the Home.

The manager said they must pay for electricity and water bills, purchase school uniforms, medical care, and groceries, and the allowance was not enough.

Another Home manager, who preferred to remain anonymous, said: “Living here in Fiji, we know that it’s very difficult to use the number per month to get healthy food, to get a good education, to do any type of activity for the kids to nurture their physical well-being, and this is not even to take care of the trauma that these children have dealt with. 

“We are having to bring on counsellors and doctor’s appointments, all these things cost, and whatever is from the Government, it’s certainly not enough for all of that. So, majority of our funding comes from private donations.”

The ministry allocated $100,000 from its overall allocation of $200.2 million in the 2023-2024 National Budget to set up the Department of Children (formerly just a unit) to align human resource and key responsibilities.

“We now have a Director Children, a principal child welfare officer, a child welfare officer and an admin officer,” former Minister for Children, Lynda Tabuya, said during her 2024-2025 budget address.

COMMISSION

Fiji Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission Commissioner, Veena Singh, said if able-bodied people were struggling with the high cost of living, one should consider how people with disabilities were dealing with it.

Ms Singh will lead a study this year by the Commission to explore the status of the protection and promotion of the rights of children living with disabilities in Fiji.

During the launch of the self-funded baseline study at the Holiday Inn, Suva, yesterday, Ms Singh took the time to address questions on the special needs of children living with disabilities in Homes.

“You can just imagine how expensive it would be for them,” she said.

“At the end of this study, it’s going to be really impactful (the study), and I’m crossing my fingers that it will open some doors and push for an increase in resources and funding for children with disabilities.”

The Commission’s Director, Loukinikini Lewaravu, said the study would examine questions about the resources provided to care for disabled and disadvantaged children in residential Homes, both State-run and private.

She said the Commission would consult key government agencies, like the ministry in question, as well as multiple Homes for children across the country.

“If these issues are the issues that they’re identifying as gaps, of course, we will be able to raise that with the Government, and the Government will also have to have their say why resources are not provided.

“So hopefully, at the end of this study, the findings and the recommendations will be provided to address some of these issues.”

The study is expected to be implemented over an 18-month period, with initial findings earmarked to be released by December this year and the final report in early 2026.

Pravesh Sharma, the commission’s chairperson, said the lack of Government money doesn’t mean there weren’t other sources of funding to look at.

“We should try…stakeholders should try and look for funding elsewhere,” he said.

TRANSITIONAL AND EXIT PLAN 

There appears to be no pathway set by the ministry for children who turn 18.

Unlike before where children who turn 18 are put out of Homes, this time children remain at the Homes until there’s a concrete way to help them reintegrate into the community.

When these children are put out of Homes, there is no effort to check on how they were coping because many of them were raised with minimal interaction with the community, Home managers we spoke to indicated.

Initially, the partnership between the Government and the Homes was based on a mutual understanding that the Homes were to provide care and protection for the children while the department carries out family assessment and identify an exit plan.

Children, who are 18 years old and above, receive a separate allowance of $120 a month, says a Home manager.

Is that the exit plan?

These Home managers raised frustration on the lack of action by the ministry to steer change.

There are a lot of red tapes and requirements.

Homes must record and request approval from the department when there are visitors or if the carers take the children for a day out.

Homes also undergo audits and must fill out paperwork required by the department.

We understand an audit on the Homes was carried out by the department in June last year and an audit report has yet to be produced.

WHAT’S THE PROBLEM

Can one survive with $4.60 a day, let alone operate a Home and tend to the needs of children – some living with disabilities?

“What the Government pays is not nearly enough to cover anything really. If you’re talking about getting them on a diet of rice, that could come close, but that’s not a healthy diet, to be fair,” said one of the Home managers.

“These are growing children, and they need fresh fruits and vegetables, and that budget doesn’t even cover that per month for a child.

“Some of these children come from a lot of trauma and some of them haven’t been in education for majority of their upbringing before they come to us, so we’re having to backtrack to get them to the level they’re meant to be at in terms of education.

“We’re having to invest in tutoring, some of them even private schooling.”

The Home managers hope the formation of the Department of Children will bring about change, and a push for an increased allowance.

MINISTRY’S RESPONSE 

Responding to emailed questions, the ministry said the allowance was a contribution to meeting the child’s basic needs.

“The allowance is financial support rather than full funding, as Residential Homes function through a partnership between the Government and non-government organisations,” the ministry said.

“Previous recommendations for an increase were highlighted in a UNICEF report, and the ministry has advocated for this through the normal government budget processes.

“The ministry is currently reviewing all our social protection programmes through the Reform Program in partnership with Partnership for Social Protection (P4SP).”

The ministry said they were exploring the different options and consultations would be done with relevant stakeholders before any policy decision is sought.

Feedback: ivamere.nataro@fijisun.com.fj