Reading tutorial coordinators are now equipped with knowledge on handling children, thanks to efforts to orient them on child protection and safe space laws.

Shalaine Marie Lucero, regional director of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)-Central Visayas, said on Friday the region’s “Tara, Basa” tutoring program has been exposed to state policies protecting children under Republic Act 11313, or the Safe Spaces Act.

“We spearheaded an activity to ensure that field staff, who will be deployed to local government units and elementary schools, are well-equipped with essential knowledge on child protection and safe spaces,” she told the Philippine News Agency.

Lucero said the agency sees the need to orient coordinators of child rights measures because of their direct interaction with children who are beneficiaries of the DSWD’s reading tutorial program.

These coordinators must be fully aware of the policies that safeguard the children’s rights and well-being, she added.

The Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking and Violence Against Women and Children-7 are working with DSWD in continuing orientation for tutorial coordinators.

The coordinators will be working closely with child beneficiaries, college students, and parents who are mostly women, throughout the 20-day program.

Lucero said their understanding of child protection laws and safe spaces policies is imperative in maintaining a learning environment that prioritizes the safety, dignity, and overall welfare of each involved child. (PNA)