Counsellors have been appointed at the block level to offer counselling and guidance to special children, said R.Shyamala, District Differently Abled Welfare Officer, in Tiruchi recently.
At a coordination meeting of non-governmental organisations working for children and officials of Department of Social Welfare held here recently, she said the counsellors will identify and offer counselling to special children and school drop-outs, working in tandem with field workers of the Education for All scheme at the union level.
The role of Childline and NGOs in child protection was discussed at the meeting that also featured a session on child protection policy.
Representatives from 54 NGOs working under the Social Welfare Department and the Department for the Welfare of Differently Abled Persons attended the meeting organised jointly by Childline Nodal Organisation and post graduate and research department of social work, Bishop Heber College.
J. Godwin Prem Singh, associate professor, Bishop Heber College, said 22 per cent of children in the country are child labourers, and eight per cent of them are differently abled.
The government in association with NGOs is working to eliminate child labour, he added.
Childline coordinator Albert Manoharan spoke on child protection policy. Childline city coordinator S.
Thiyagarajan spoke on the role played by Childline and NGOs in child protection, a press release here said.
