Kerala Launches Statewide Child Vulnerability Mapping to Track Welfare and Nutrition

Key facts

• The Government of Kerala announced a comprehensive statewide vulnerability mapping exercise to identify and safeguard children living in precarious conditions.
• The decision was formalized during a departmental review following the death of a toddler in Alappuzha due to suspected malnutrition.
• District Women and Child Development Officers have been designated as nodal authorities responsible for children's safety, nutrition tracking, and rehabilitation.
• Social investigation reports must be sent to Child Welfare Committees within fixed timelines, and individualized care plans must be prepared for every child in care institutions.
• Administrative guidelines mandate continuous follow-up, nutrition tracking, and growth monitoring even after rehabilitation, with District Child Protection Officers empowered to escalate rescue operations facing community or parental hurdles.
• The initiative coordinates Local Self-Governments, the Health Department, Police, and Women and Child Development functionaries, and statutory pathways ensure parental non-cooperation cannot halt protective interventions.