The government is committed to work towards a better future for our children and based on the "Mahinda Chinthana" and the internationally accepted standards, programmes will be implemented to facilitate the efforts, said the Minister of Children’s Development and Women Empowerment Sumedha Jayasena.

The Save the Children in Sri Lanka launched the research report titled "Home Truths - Children’s Rights in Institutional care in Sri Lanka" yesterday in Colombo where the Minister was the Chief Guest.

The report was the first of its kind and gave comprehensive details of a study conducted in four selected provinces, Western, Central, Southern and North and East on the institutionalised children.

"We need to take every effort in ensuring the child has a proper home. If under any circumstance a child needs to be sent to an institution then the wellbeing of the child should be look after. They should not be kept in an institution for more than three years", the Minister stressed.

"However, the situation in Sri Lanka is that many children are confined to institutions for a longer period and they are not given proper attention. In many cases they are not allowed to communicate with the outside world and not socialised. This is a matter of concern," she said.

While assuring that the government would be working towards a better future for those children, the Minister said that a number of programmes had been drawn for the benefit of them. "The year 2006 has been declared as the National Children’s Year and issues related to institutionalised children will be given priority. Their problems have not been addressed properly so far", she noted.