Twenty-one parents in Sharjah have been penalised for negligence at home, resulting in a surge in domestic accidents.

The child protection section affiliated to Sharjah Social Services Department (SSSD) witnessed an increase in cases reported through the helpline.

Amina Al-Rifai, Director of the Child and Family Protection Centre, said the helpline (800700) reported a noticeable rise in reports about children who suffered accidents at home because of lack of parental supervision.

She said that most reports concern children who accidentally consumed medicines, vitamins, or detergents are between six months to four years of age.

"There were also some incidents of children falling in the house from a height," Amina Al-Rifai told Khaleej Times.

She explained that when the centre receives a report on the helpline, the child is first examined and ensured its safety in coordination with Al Qassimi Hospital for Women, Maternity and Children.

If the protection specialists verify any neglect, the officer will make the parents sign a pledge under the judicial power granted to social workers.

She pointed out that the centre offered counselling and guidance sessions to parents on keeping children safe and how they should store dangerous materials and medicines inside cabinets.

Al-Rifai urged parents to be vigilant, cautious, and be responsible for their children’s safety while they are out and about, especially as we approach the summer holidays when there are more accidents at farms, swimming pools, and other places of entertainment.

The UAE Child Rights Law, formerly known as 'the Wadeema Law', protects children from abuse and neglect and supports their right to safety, shelter, health care and education.

The law - which covers UAE nationals and children of expats - lays out the legal rights of minors in the UAE and is designed to protect children from birth to puberty from a variety of forms of abuse, including physical, verbal, and psychological abuse.

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