The Rules for Re-integration of Children in state custody have been amended to include a clause that mandates the government to re-examine the process of handing over legal guardianship to foster parents within the next six months, before its implementation.
This is a regulation under Child Rights Protection Act.
The new clauses added to the regulation on Thursday mandates cases where legal guardianship of children were awarded to foster parents before the implementation of the Child Rights Protection Act, to submit themselves for re-examination within the next six months. The amendment was effective immediately after being published in the gazette yesterday.
The amendment to the regulation also requires that an assessment report on the current status of the child and foster parents be prepared in the event that the case goes to court.
The current Child Rights Protection Act came into effect in 2019.
According to the regulation under the Act, children who are brought under state custody are placed under the care of foster parents or their legal guardians for re-integration until they reach the age of 18.
The duration for temporary fostering of a child will be determined by the re-integration committee after consultation with the fosterer. However, if the child's living conditions with the fosterer remain unchanged during the temporary period, then the duration of the temporary fostering will not be altered.
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