"It has been mandated in the 1945 Constitution that the poor and neglected children be looked after by the state. At the Social Affairs Ministry, the handling is carried out by the Directorate General of Social Rehabilitation," said Rismaharini in a statement released here on Friday.
The handling of orphans must involve various related parties, as its implementation must have a legal and budgetary basis, she pointed out.
As per provisional data, Indonesia has around four million orphans, not including children who were victims of the COVID-19 pandemic, the minister said. The data will continue to be updated with inputs from local governments, she added.
"We have asked the local governments for data on the number of orphans, including from a number of centers, foundations, and Islamic boarding schools," Rismaharini said.
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Meanwhile, regarding the type of program, model and budget, the ministry has not been able to announce it, as the concept still needs to be studied and budgetary approval sought from the Finance Ministry.
"Everything is still in process, because this handling effort cannot be equated with other efforts. For example, regarding the mechanism and amount of assistance for elementary, middle, and high school children. This will be conveyed after there is a decision from the government," Rismaharini said.
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Translator: Devi Nindy Sari Ramadhan, Katr
Editor: Suharto
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