Minister of Women and Child Affairs, Hon. Sarojah Savithri Paulraj, stated with pride that the Child Probation Officers of the Northern Province are among the best performing in Sri Lanka. She noted that during discussions held with other provinces, the services of Northern Province officers are consistently highlighted as a model to be emulated.
The Minister made these remarks while addressing a special discussion with officials of the Northern Provincial Department of Probation and Child Care Services, held on Tuesday evening, 30 June 2026 at the Governor’s Secretariat.
During the meeting, the Commissioner of the Northern Province Department of Probation and Child Care Services, Mrs. Sujeeva Sivathas, provided the Minister with a detailed briefing on the challenges faced by Child Probation Officers in the field. In particular, she pointed out the inadequacies in the existing legal framework relating to child care.
She explained that the absence of a dedicated rehabilitation centre for children addicted to drugs in the Northern Province creates significant practical difficulties when referring such children to certified schools. She also drew the Minister’s attention to the challenges faced by probation officers due to the lack of state run children’s homes equipped to care for children with mental health needs.
Addressing the gathering, the Hon. Minister stressed that caring for abandoned children is not merely a profession but a profound social service that should be undertaken with dedication and compassion.
She further stated that matters requiring legal reforms should be documented and jointly submitted by all nine provinces, after which appropriate action would be taken based on those recommendations.
The Minister also expressed concern that officers in the Northern Province have not received adequate opportunities for overseas training to date. She assured them that efforts would be made to provide such training opportunities in the future.
She further assured the participants that special attention would be given to establishing facilities for the rehabilitation of children affected by drug addiction and to addressing the needs of children requiring mental health care.
The Hon. Minister also offered several important recommendations regarding housing schemes for young men and women leaving children’s homes as they transition to independent living.
During the event, the Statistical Handbook of the Northern Province Department of Probation and Child Care Services and the “Handbook for Probation Officers,” prepared in Tamil for the first time by a Child Probation Officer of the department, were officially presented to the Hon. Minister and other distinguished guests.
Among those present at the high level discussion were Hon. R. Chandrasekhar, Minister of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources; Hon. K. Ilankumaran, Member of Parliament; the Chief Secretary of the Northern Province; the Secretary to the Governor of the Northern Province; the Secretary to the Provincial Ministry of Health – Northern Province and several other senior government officials.
