Child Social Welfare Act
Category: Social Justice
Strength: Significant
The World Assembly,
Commending efforts by this body to provide basic protections for children,
Recognizing the dedicated work of member states in their respective attempts to combat the social and economic problems children and their families face,
Aware that some children face social and economic problems so harmful that they hinder their overall achievement of a better quality of life,
Noting that these harms often fall short of a member state’s attention due to their overall focus on protecting children as a whole,
Believing these harms are preventable with appropriate attention,
Hereby,
1. Defines “at-risk children” as persons below the age of majority defined by the member state they visit or reside in who:
(a) experience substantial difficulty acquiring a better quality of life by the time they reach the age of majority,
(b) lack, due to their economic or social circumstances, adequate means to overcome these difficulties on their own or with the help of their families, and who consequentially,
(c) participate in self-destructive behavior such as substance abuse, criminal activity, self-harm, or any other activity that shows reckless disregard for the safety and well-being of themselves and others;
2. Further defines “quality of life” in the previous clause as one’s well-being shaped by social indicators such as overall health and safety;
3. Mandates member states to:
(a) identify risk factors that result in a child becoming an at-risk child,
(b) research methods to reduce or eliminate these risk factors,
(c) educate healthcare, education, and law enforcement authorities on how to recognize at-risk children, and,
(d) pass laws and regulations to that effect;
4. Requires member states, through state or private actors, address the immediate problems of substance abuse, criminal activity, and self-harm facing at-risk children by:
(a) providing affordable and accessible drug rehabilitation services,
(b) establishing safe and accessible recreational venues, such as community centers, intended in practice as a preferred social outlet to criminal activity,
(c) making available affordable and accessible mental health professionals to provide adequate counseling and treatment;
5. Suggests that member states, when acting in accordance with Clause 4, take reasonable precautions to address at-risk children that revert back to the same self-destructive behaviors leading to their classification as such;
6. Further requires member states ensure, whether through state or private actors, that all known at-risk children within their jurisdictions, including non-resident at-risk children, have reasonable access to resources that enable them to sustain a decent quality of life, of which adequate food, water, and shelter shall suffice;
7. Expresses its hope that member states shall pursue further supportive measures that enable safe and stable living conditions for all children.