4 422 Kids Lost At Least One Parent To Covid 19 Says Rina

---

 
Rina Harun says financial aid of RM200 will be channeled to each child under seven, while those aged seven and above will receive RM150 each.KUALA LUMPUR: Some 4,422 children lost at least one of their parents to Covid-19, women, family and community development minister Rina Harun told the Dewan Rakyat today, citing data from the education ministry.
Responding to a question from Hannah Yeoh (PH-Segambut), Rina said 154 of these children have become orphans after losing both parents to the pandemic, since Covid-19 struck Malaysia.
Those children who do not have any family members to take care of them will be placed with either a foster family or institutions that are deemed safe and suitable for them, she added.
She also said financial aid of RM200 will be channeled to each child under seven, while those aged seven and above will receive RM150 each.
She added that Putrajaya had raised the maximum aid limit in the 2021 Budget from RM400 per family to RM1,000.
Rina added that counseling services will be offered to children who have lost their parents while psychological intervention will also be conducted to ensure their wellbeing.
Yeoh, a former deputy women, family and community development minister, pointed out that just a month ago Rina said only 33 children had lost their parents to Covid-19, and wanted to know how the minister would be coordinating its data better across different ministries.
Rina said the spike in number of children orphaned followed an integration of data between her ministry, and the education and health ministries, as well as the police and the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma).
When asked what “trigger system” the ministry would be introducing to ensure such data would be more integrated while covering children who lost parents for other reasons, Rina said she would respond in a written answer.
“We are updating our data and our system,” she replied. - FMT

---