Protecting Children from Abuse

• The rights of the child and protect him from all forms of abuse and neglect is preserved according to Islamic law precepts, and the international regulations and agreements to which the Kingdom is a party.
• Child protection from all types of abuse and neglect and their forms that they may be exposed to in the surrounding environment is guaranteed.
• Providing the abused and neglect child the necessary care is guaranteed.
• Raise awareness for child rights.
  Providing assistance and treatment, and working to provide the necessary shelter, social, psychological and health care assistance.
• Take the necessary legal measures to hold the perpetrators accountable and punish them.
• Spreading awareness among community members about the concept of victimization, and its implications.
• Handling behavioral phenomena in society that indicate the existence of an appropriate environment for the occurrence of cases of abuse.

Healthcare

Premature Birth (Premature Babies)

Premature baby is the child born before the 37th week (three weeks before the expected due date), these babies may be accompanied by medical problems, and needs special care and stay in the neonatal intensive care unit. Premature Babies between 25 to 29 weeks of pregnancy are fed by intravenously or through a tube.
Premature Babies Categories:

• Born between 32 to 37 weeks of pregnancy.
• Born between 28 to 32 weeks of pregnancy.
• Born in the 25 week or earlier of pregnancy.

Reasons

The reason is usually unclear. However, there are some risk factors that lead to early birth.

The Risk Factors

• Exposure to premature labor before.
• Pregnancy with twins or more.
• A period of less than six months between pregnancy and another.
• Pregnancy through in vitro fertilization.
• Some chronic conditions such as: (high blood pressure and diabetes).
• Having problems with the womb, cervix, or placenta.
• Having had a miscarriage or abortion several times.
• Smoking or drug abuse.
• Losing or gaining weight before pregnancy.
• Psychological stress.
• Infection.
• Physical injury.
  

Symptoms

• Small body and disproportionate to the head size.
• Thinning of the skin that the veins can be seen.
• Having fine hair that covers many areas of the body.
• Low body temperature, especially in the immediate postpartum period, because of a lack of fat stored in the body.
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing.

Short- and Long-Term Health Problems

• Breathing problems.
• Heart problems.
• Digestive problems.
• Yellowing of a baby's skin and eyes (Newborn jaundice).
• Anemia.
• Infections.
• Problems with growth and movement.
• Dental problems.
• Vision or hearing problems.
• Cerebral Palsy.
• Poor learning capacity
• Behavioral or psychological problems.
• Chronic health problems such as asthma.

Protection

It is impossible to prevent the birth of a premature baby because the reason is not clear. However, the following can be done:

• Commitment to hospital appointments during pregnancy to check the health of the mother and the fetus.
• Reducing risk factors for premature labor (such as smoking, drug abuse, etc.).
• Avoid heavy work or standing for long periods as it may increase premature labor.

Newborns Health

Newborn jaundice

Newborn jaundice is very common and can occur when babies have a high level of Bilirubin, leads to Yellowing of a baby's skin and eyes. In most cases, the jaundice would disappear in two weeks without any treatment. It is important to keep an eye on it, so it did not lead to advanced conditions that might effect the brain. It is important in the case of jaundice to breastfeed the baby (8 to 12 times a day) in the early days.

The Bilirubin appears when the old red blood cells breakdown in order to be replaced by new red blood cells, the yellow pigment produced in the liver and excreted through the stool. It may occur because the liver has not fully grown and matured, and thus cannot get rid of the yellow pigment. It is also known as:

• Icterus
• Yellowish
• Birth jaundice
• Jaundice in newborns

Reasons

Normal Jaundice 

It occurs during the pregnancy, as the placenta gets rid of the yellow material from its body, and after birth the role of the liver begins to do this task, and it will take some time to complete its growth and do this very efficiently, so it cannot get rid of the yellow substance before its completion, and this results a normal yellowing in most babies between the ages of two to four days, and it usually goes away within two weeks.

Pathological yellowing

Early yellowing

It occurs within less than 24 hours of the child's birth, and its causes:

• Broken blood cells (such as: mismatch of mother and baby blood groups, bean anemia)
• Infection: before birth, such as: feline disease, rubella, syphilis - after birth, such as Kriegler-Nagar syndrome.

Prolonged yellowing

It lasts for more than 2 weeks, more than 21 days in premature babies, and its causes:

• Infection (such as a urinary tract infection).
• Underactive thyroid
• Digestive problems (such as: problems with the bile duct, neonatal hepatitis).

Symptoms

The first sign of jaundice is yellowing of the baby's skin and eyes from the second day after birth.

When to consider visiting a doctor?

Baby will be examined within 72 hours of birth to confirm jaundice, and you should see a doctor if there is a development of symptoms in the baby after this time, such as:

• Increased yellowness of the skin.
• Difficulty waking up the baby.
• Do not gain weight.
• The heightened tone of the baby’s cry.
• Decreased or rejected breastfeeding.
• Jaundice persists for more than two weeks.
  

Diagnosis

• Clinical examination.
• Laboratory tests: examination of the yellow pigment, with additional tests if necessary.
  

Risk factors

• Family history of Jaundice.
• Family history of blood diseases.
• Malnutrition of the baby in the first days of their life.
  
• Early birth (premature babies).
• Low birth weight.
• The baby was bruised during childbirth.
• Blood type difference between mother and baby.
• The mother has diabetes.

Complications

When pathological jaundice lasts more than three weeks, the baby will be at the risk of:

• Deafness.
• Cerebral palsy and other forms of brain damage.

Treatment

In infants, jaundice usually resolves within two weeks without any treatment. It only needs be supervised. Treatment is usually recommended if tests show that the baby has very high levels of yellow pigment in the blood (more than 200 micromol/liter).
There are two main treatments that can be performed in the hospital:

• Light therapy that helps breakdown the yellow pigment in the skin.
• Blood change in severe cases.

Protection

• Breastfeed (8 to 12 times a day) in the first days of life.
• Ensure that medical tests are scheduled after birth.
• Monitor the baby carefully for the first five days after birth.

Children’s Nutrition

Control child’s weight

There are many ways helping a child to loss wight without affecting their growth aiming for the weight remains stable until its height increases. These are:

• Taking into account the child's psyche when dealing with their weight and encouraging them to play physical games and take walks.
• Ensure that they are involved in a continuous, medium-strength sporting activity, preferably a group activity.
• Make sure to eat a high-fiber and low-sugar breakfast.
• Make the food choices are healthy as possible.
• Counting the daily needed calories and training students to track the nutritional value of foods.
• Divide the daily meals into five separate small meals, and eat them at fixed times.
• Increase your intake of whole fiber found in oats, wheat grains, brown rice and chickpeas.
• Drink two glasses of water before eating.
• Gradually reduce the amount of sugar in drinks.
• Low-fat dairy products are preferred.
• Not eating two types of carbohydrates at the same meal.
• Avoid eating fruits or sweets right after eating.
• Providing natural juices rich in fiber, and educating students about the danger of soft drinks and energy drinks, and the need to abstain from them.
• Avoid using the term "diet" or "regime".
• Make all those around the child follow the same healthy habits.
• Using healthy ways of cooking to provide the food that the child prefers with the lowest calories.
• Allowing the child to eat what they desire once or twice a week, and it is preferable to eat it in the morning.
• Monitoring wight on the scale once every ten days, with encouragements.

Illnesses Affects Children Growth

• Malnutrition.
• Genetic diseases.
• Hormonal disorders.
• Anemia.

Malnutrition

It is the most common reason of growth problems in the world, and it mainly occurs due to lack of protein and other nutrients in the body.

Vaccinations

It is the cornerstone of public health, and it is a method by which a person is protected from infection with infectious diseases. The vaccination contains dead or weak bacteria or viruses, so that they do not have the ability to cause disease, and it is given to the person so that it stimulates the immune system in the body to recognize them and produce bodies antibody recognizes the microbe early, and thus fights it if it enters the body again and prevents the occurrence of disease.

It is an easy and safe method for everyone as it undergoes safety tests before approval, and its results are constantly monitored.

Target groups:

• Infants.
• Children.
• Pregnant women.
• Elderly.
• People with a weak immune system due to undergoing cancer treatment.
• People with chronic diseases.
• Pilgrims.
• Those traveling to affected areas.

Types of vaccinations

There are several types of vaccinations, and each type stimulates the immune system to fight a specific type of microbes and the diseases that cause them, including:

• Live-attenuated vaccines

They use an attenuated (or weakened) form of the germ that causes a disease. These vaccines are very similar to the natural infection and therefore help protect against the infection by creating a strong and long-lasting immune response. Just 1 or 2 doses (of most live vaccines) can provide a lifetime of protection against a germ and the disease it causes. E.g. MMR combined vaccine (measles, mumps, rubella), Rotavirus, Smallpox, Chickenpox, Yellow fever, Shingles, oral polio

• Inactivated vaccines

They use the dead version of the germ that causes a disease. The immunity (protection) they provide is usually not as strong as that provided by live vaccines. Therefore, several doses may be needed over time to gain ongoing immunity against diseases.E.g. Hepatitis A, Influenza, Polio, Rabies

• Subunit/conjugate vaccines:

They use specific parts of the germ (e.g. protein, sugar, or the casing around the germ). Since these vaccines use only specific parts of the germ, they provide a very strong immune response that targets key parts of the germ. This type of vaccine can be used on almost everyone who needs it, including people with weakened immune systems and chronic health problems. However, one of their disadvantages is that booster shots may be necessary to get ongoing protection against diseases.
E.g.: Hib (Haemophilus influenzae type b) disease, Hepatitis B, HPV (Human papillomavirus), Whooping cough, Pneumococcal disease, Meningococcal disease

• Toxoid vaccines

They use the harmful product (toxin) made by the germ that causes a disease so that the immune system can fight this toxin rather than the germ. Like other vaccines, booster shots may be necessary to get ongoing protection against diseases. E.g. Diphtheria, Tetanus

Vaccination Reminder Service

Booking Medical Appointments (Mawid) Service

School Health

• School Back bag.
• Breakfast.
• Healthy food in schools.
• Exploratory examination of school students.
• Signs affecting academic achievement.
• How to protect your child from diseases at school.
• Daily program to maintain my health.
• Tips for studying more positively.
• Exploratory examination of school students.
• For these services, please visit this page.

Childhood Cancer

Childhood cancers display differences from adult cancers. This is because the parts of the body that are likely to be affected in children and adults are different. Childhood cancers affect children of all ages and races. As a result of modern developments in treatment options, more children survive cancer than ever before.

Cause

The cause of childhood cancer is still unknown, but in some cases, cancer develops due to genetic abnormalities.

• The aging of the parents may increase the risk of childhood cancer.
• Viral infections such as liver cancer (hepatitis B) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
• Exposure to ionizing radioactive materials in childhood may expose the child to cancer, especially leukemia.

Symptoms

• The symptoms depend on the type of cancer, its stage, and its effect on other parts of the child's body.
  
• Leukemia may lead to anemia and frequent infections, or it may lead to abnormal bleeding and bruising.
  
• Brain cancer causes frequent headaches and nausea upon waking up in the morning, as well as general weakness and vision problems.
  
• Cancer of the lymphatic system leads to swollen lymph nodes, high temperature and intense sweating in the evening.
  

Diagnosis

• Clinical examination.
• Laboratory tests, including blood and urine tests.
• Ultrasound scans, X-ray scans and MRI scans
• Biopsy.

Risk factors

• Genetic factors are among the most important reasons.
• Children who were exposed to a large dose of radiation are at risk of infection, as are those who were exposed to chemical substances or drugs and those with immunodeficiency disease, as there is a relationship between leukemia and immunodeficiency diseases, whether hereditary or acquired.

Complications

Cancer may lead to several complications, including:

• The spread of cancer cells in the body.
• Failure to respond to treatment or disease recurrence.

Treatment

Common treatments are:

• Surgery.
• Chemotherapy.
• Radiation therapy.
• Stem cell and bone marrow transplant.

Protection

• Avoid exposing the child to excessive radiation.
• Paying attention to the child’s nutrition to raise his immunity.
• If the child suffers from a syndrome or genetic defect, they must follow up periodically with a geneticist.

Child Safety

In-car Child Safety

Road accidents cause the deaths of many children every year. Accidents have increased significantly since 2015 due to several reasons (such as distracted driving). Such accidents are difficult to prevent if the driver uses smart devices while driving. Meanwhile, even if you drive safely, this does not necessarily mean that other drivers do.
Having your child sit in a properly installed car seat, that is appropriate for his age, in the back seat, would help protect your child, and reduces the risk of suffering from serious injuries in road accidents; whose victims are mostly children.

Types of child car seats:

Car seat types vary depending on the child's age and weight, as well as the vehicle type. Car seat types include:

Appropriate car seat type	Age range	Weight
Rear-facing car seat for infants	Birth to 6-9 months	0-10 KG
	Birth to 12-15 months	0-13 KG
Convertible car seat	Birth to 4 years	0-18 KG
	Birth to 6 years	0-25 KG
Forward-facing car seat	9 months to 4 years	9-18 KG
	9 months to 11 years	9-36 KG
Booster seat	4-6 years	15-25 KG
	4-11 years	15-36 KG
Wedge pillow	6-11 years	22-36 KG
	4-11 years	15-36 KG

Guidance on choosing the right car seat for your child:

• There is no such thing as the "best" or "most efficient" seat. The type of each seat is bound by the age and size of the child, as well as proper installation and proper use.
• Seat's high price does not necessarily mean that it is the best.
• It is recommended that the seat filling is comfortable for your child's head, providing the necessary head support, especially when travelling.
• Make sure that the fabric of the seat absorbs moisture, and that this fabric is removable for cleaning purposes.
• Make sure that the car seat has a sunshade cover to protect your child from the sun.
• Make sure that the car seat is easy to remove and install into the stroller.

Early childhood development and care

The Ministry of Education laid down the basics for students' physical, social, emotional, and intellectual development and their development simultaneously, in the early stages of childhood between the ages of 3-8 years, and that process at each stage depends on the capabilities achieved by the child in the previous stage. These policies came to touch the special needs of young learners, to raise performance levels, and to develop plans to build, and institutional formation, for the child's entry and preparation for higher education stages.
In the Ministry’s Organizational Guide issued by Cabinet Resolution No. (511) dated 2-9-1440, it was stated: “The general objective of the work of the Early Childhood General Administration of the Agency for Public Education is based on working to provide distinct educational services for children (from the age of 3 to Third primary grade), and follow-up of early childhood performance according to the approved indicators to prepare students for enrollment in basic education.

Initiatives

• Developing kindergartens and expanding its services to include all regions of the Kingdom, to achieve the strategic goal of "ensuring quality, equitable and inclusive education for all, and enhancing lifelong learning opportunities for all", to increase the enrollment rate of children In kindergarten from 17% to 95% in 2030.
• Early Childhood Initiative “Quick Gains” that takes advantage of material, human and financial resources to achieve increased enrollment in primary grades by assigning the teaching of boys and girls to female teachers at the beginning of the academic year 1441.

Projects

• Establishing a children's TV channel to support the Ministry of Education's directives.
• Reviewing and developing the rules and regulations for early childhood.
• Enhancing and raising educational skills in early childhood.
• Opening and building a group of schools (Kindergarten - early childhood).
• Preparing studies that support initiatives and projects of the Early Childhood Public Administration.
• Improving the learning environments in kindergartens using the "Acres scale" or what is known as "the impact of the environment in early childhood on the child", according to a scientific methodology using a standardized scientific tool, through partnership with King Abdulaziz University to identify the behavior directed towards the quality of the educational environment For governmental, and private kindergartens.
• The Personal Safety Program to protect children from harm in cooperation with AGFUND and UNICEF; With the aim of enhancing the values and personal safety skills of children, and their caregiver, including teachers and parents, by providing a healthy educational environment that contributes to developing preventive skills for various types of abuse and neglect.
• Mother and child education program aims of helping the mother to provide her child with basic skills (mental, physical, emotional and social) in line with his developmental characteristics at the age of five years, it is a program:
  Educative: to support the mother in raising her children.
  Compensation: for children who cannot go to kindergarten.
  Early learning standards for kindergarten for the early age group (3-6) years in Saudi Arabia: these standards help institutions and groups directly related to raising a child, and teaching them to realize expectations of what the child should know and be able to do. This document is a descriptive guide for a set of expectations for the knowledge, behaviors and skills children have that will contribute to building the child's personality in the later stages of learning to be a good, productive and effective citizen in his community.

Children’s Education

The education sector is one of the most prominent sectors that have received the attention of the government for its importance in the field of human resource development, increasing its productivity and keeping with scientific and technical developments. And to confirm this interest, Article (30) of the Basic Law of Governance stipulated (The state provides public education ... and is committed to combating illiteracy) as stipulated in Article 29 of the same system: (The state sponsors science, literature and culture and is concerned with encouraging scientific research, preserving Islamic and Arab heritage, and contributing to Arab and Islamic civilization and humanity).
The development plans included a focus on the quality of public education and increasing the capacity of the number of students. As it stated in the eighth strategic basis of the Seventh Development Plan 1420/1425 (2000/2004) that the development of outputs education in accordance with Islamic law, the changing needs of society, and the requirements of development takes place through the following:

• The obligation of education for both boys and girls at the primary level.
• Modernizing and developing school curricula and teaching methods, raising the level of teachers and developing teaching methods to meet actual community needs.
• Addressing the problem of school dropout at all levels of education.
• Increasing scientific and applied interest in universities and research centers.
• Attention to aspects of extra-curricular activity in all educational stages.
• Emphasizing the integration and flexibility of educational channels and tributaries.

The development strategy for the public education sector during the Seventh Development Plan aimed to achieve distinct qualitative and quantitative growth through the following goals, policies and programs:

Goals

• Providing educational opportunities for every citizen of school age.
• Raise the level of public education in terms of quantity and quality.
• Upgrading the level of organization and management.
• Developing the national manpower.
• Taking care of education and training for female students and expanding the opening of vocational secondary institutes.
• Eliminate illiteracy and intensify adult education and literacy programs.
• Activating the cultural movement and scientific and non-academic activity.
• Upgrading the level of special education programs for male and female students with special needs (handicapped).
• Emphasizing the importance of caring for the talented.
• Establishing educational projects and facilities, improving existing ones, and activating private sector participation in financing.

Policies

• Improving internal efficiency by applying the automatic promotion system between the first grades of the elementary stage while preserving educational quality, levels and standards.
• Improving the quality of education by evaluating curricula and teaching methods and developing them in line with the requirements of development, and making use of specialized research centers in this field, with an emphasis on the importance of continuous training for male and female teachers.
• Promoting the introduction of computer science at the secondary level and studying its circulation at the elementary and intermediate levels.
• Expanding daycares and kindergarten education programs, and encouraging the private sector to contribute to the opening and expansion of daycares.
• Rationalizing spending on education by improving organizational efficiency, raising the level of employee performance, addressing internal efficiency constraints, reducing the average number of educational years, increasing the use of modern education technologies, and supporting the role of the private sector.
• Improving and developing educational administration by selecting distinguished competencies and intensifying the necessary training courses.
• Activating the role of the private sector in financing the construction of school buildings and educational facilities, and completing the regulations to open the way for accepting grants and donations.
• Participating in the evaluation studies for education programs to see the extent to which they achieve the goals for which they were set.
• Developing students' awareness of the importance of voluntary services and urging them to participate in these services, and organizing training courses to increase their capabilities and develop their skills.

School registration here.

Children’s with Disabilities

Read about Early Care Services for Children with Disabilities in the Preschool Age, Education for Children with Disabilities and Distance Education and E-Learning for Children with Disabilities.

Children Protection From Internet Content

These days children can access the Internet and browse sites from many places, such as: home, school, at friends, libraries, public gathering places that provide Internet service, or even through mobile phones compatible with this service.
This wide access to the network is what makes you take care to educate your child and warn them about the dangers of the Internet, and safe ways to use it, as you do with other dangerous things such as fire, water, roads, vehicles, etc., and that preparing for this will reduce the risk that we may face when using the bad Internet.
Many parents think that their children know more when it comes to the use of the Internet, but what can parents do to help their children when they use the Internet can be explained as follows:

• Creating a list of good sites for children, and provide them for a direct access to these websites.
• Monitor children closely and follow the sites they visit.
• Limiting email correspondence to a known group of the child's friends and relatives.
• Defining the risks of participating in chat rooms or irregular groups.
• Continuous discussion with the child about the benefits and risks of using the Internet.
• Activating the child's self-monitoring and providing them with adequate and clear information and methods to be able to browse safely.
• Activating their role in introducing the rest of the family to the knowledge they acquire through the Internet, sharing useful and useful information, and warning of the dangers they discover.

Some of the risks that children may face

• View inappropriate materials

Pornography, as well as materials related to violence and the development of hatred, all pose a great danger to children, and they must be disclosed and taken into account, as these materials can be viewed via the network or by e-mail correspondence, groups, or file-sharing networks, and such material the child may be exposed to by accident or as a result of negligence when searching for educational content, places or people, or any other topic; Therefore, children should be aware of the mechanisms of safe searching and browsing, and parents should know what to do when discovering what is harmful or illegal.

• Substantial danger

Children are likely to contact impersonators, whether it is via the Internet or by meeting them directly, as communication between them can begin through chat rooms, e-mail or others, and then direct meeting with them is arranged. It is important to warn the child that anyone who comes into contact with them provides any private or confidential information.

• Unsolicited advertising and marketing materials

Internet commerce is on the increase, via the network or e-mail, and there are many gambling games that aim to steal money in various ways, and the phenomenon of false websites (known as phishing sites) that impersonate the names and locations of banks and ask the child for a credit card number is spreading and other information, which may expose children or their families to a great financial risk.

• Exploitable materials

Some websites ask the browser to fill out forms that contain some of their information, such as name, e-mail address, or even phone number and home address, and then this information is exploited by sending advertising materials, viruses or others.

• Privacy of personal information

Also, you will not give your personal information to anyone, so you must apply that completely when you use the Internet, and this also applies to children, as it must be stressed that they do so, even if the child provides a site with any private information such as the home site or his e-mail, Or they post some of their own pictures, this will pose a great danger, either by direct harm to them, or by sending pornography or viruses to them or making them prey to phishing sites.

• Child awareness.
• Encourage and support them.
• Securing and protecting the computer.
• Supervision and control.

Internet via Phones Technology

Many parents provide cell phones to their children for security purposes, and the most important of which is that they are always in contact with them, but few of them are aware of the dangers that surround the child when this technology is available with them all the time.
This technology, in its rapid development, has gone beyond what is known about it, as there are many mobile phones that provide Internet connection service through third-generation networks, which allows browsing the Internet with its textual or audio content, or still and moving images, and these devices are easily available in the hands of children, due to their abundance, variety of services, and sometimes their reasonable price.
Thus, the Internet has become a public place that can be accessed at any time, and anywhere, which poses a clear danger to children, and its special danger appears if we notice the following:

• Parents are not able to know when to access the Internet, or what websites were browsed by the child, which leads to difficulty in supervision if not impossible.
• The mobile phone is always on, which enables the child to use it at any time.
• That the mobile phone enables the child to move with it anywhere, whether inside or outside the home.
• Ease of access for children to unwanted content.
• Ease of exploitation of the child, which enables some suspicious persons or entities to request confidential information and private pictures, or to send unwanted advertising and marketing materials.

Some of the reasons that led to the increasing number of children acquiring a mobile phone:

• A child's natural love of ownership.
• Privacy; the child can use it to save what they want, and to communicate who they want.
• Ability to save text, audio, picture and moving files send by their friends.
• Ease of communication, especially since the child by nature loves to communicate with friends.
• Affordable price.
• Services available, such as games, digital cameras, radios, and file storage.

Ten things you can do to keep your child safe from mobile phone risks:

1. Knowing all the specifications of the device that you will buy for your child, and asking how to cancel services that you do not want your child to use.
2. Ensure that the device is suitable for the child's age and experience.
3. Fully aware of the technologies that your child will use on the mobile phone, whether they are alone or with friends.
4. Do not provide a mobile phone to your child as soon as they request, but there must be an urgent need for that, and you must be aware of the risks that it may face.
5. Establishing a family system to ensure that the time and material limits for using the device are not exceeded.
6. Educating children about everything related to using the device, whether it is use the Internet, communicating, or otherwise, and sharing responsibility in controlling the financial costs of these services.
7. Do not use prepaid recharge cards if you want to monitor your child's use.
8. Some people can access mobile phones via Bluetooth, so it should be set to do not show this device.
9. Use the password to operate the mobile phone, in order to protect it from unauthorized use, and make sure to store this number in a safe secret place.
10. Make sure to save the serial number of your device, so that it can be recognized by the police in case of theft.

Make your child an expert in using the Internet safely:

Use the following tips to guide your child:

Do it	Don’t do it
Always be careful when using chat rooms, and ask your parents about access to them.	Do not provide anyone you meet online with any contact addresses or private information
Leave chat rooms at once when someone says uncomfortable or confusing words, and be sure to tell your parents.	Never send your photo, credit card information, or bank information to anyone
Always keep your passwords and do not share them with anyone.	Do not arrange any meeting with anyone from the Internet without telling your parents
Stay away from all sites designated for those over 18 years old, as this warning is placed for your protection	Do not open an attachment in an email, unless it was sent by someone you know
Remember: if someone offers you a good offer online it is often a hoax.	Do not respond to any request or message, if you do not understand its meaning and ask your parents about it directly

Chile protection from internet guide

Protecting and empowering children in the cyber world

Prince Mohammed bin Salman's initiative to protect children in the cyber world aims to enhance protection and awareness of cybersecurity by strengthening and supporting children, parents, teachers and decision-makers around the world to raise awareness of cyber risks and threats.

Challenges

• Cyberbullying.
• Children are increasingly targeted online.
• Identity theft.
• Electronic harassment.
• Intellectual influence.

Aspirations

• Promote children's cyberspace security, and protect them in cyberspace.
• Raising the level of awareness for children and parents regarding suspicious content on the Internet and clarifying the risks in cyberspace.
• Collaboration to develop best practices, develop policies, and support implementation by assessing the global level of awareness of children.
• Launching training programs, and supporting decision-makers and educators to use best practices for protecting children on the Internet.

Prevention of Family Violence

Family Violence

It is an aggressive behavior whereby the perpetrator exceeds his guardianship or responsibility, and aggressive behavior here means every form of physical abuse whether it is psychological or sexual, or the threat of it. Family violence may occur intentionally or unintentionally dictated by situations of frustration, anger, emotion, defensiveness, or responsibility, and it results from self and property, or the desire for revenge or control or obtaining certain gains. The transgression is defined here by referring to the Sharia, laws and international covenants that acknowledge and determine the extent of the abuse that occurred on the part of the perpetrator on the victim. Family violence results in several types of harm at present or in the future, and it has many types and forms. As for the scope of family violence, it is within the framework of the family, and includes alternative families, schools, and shelters (the system for the prevention of violence, exploitation and family abuse of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf).


The problem of family violence has been increasing in our contemporary life, and many Saudi families began to suffer from the effects of family violence, and the negative consequences that threaten the family entity with disintegration, weakness and collapse, which in turn reflected negatively on the integrity of the society. Islam rejects violence in all its forms, including family violence, which is one of the most rejected types of violence in Islam, because it affects the relatives who are connected with their righteousness and their connection, and Islam educates its followers to follow the approach of compassion, tolerance and mercy, and the exquisiteness of this religion, and even made entering Paradise for those with good morals and manners, and respect for people's material and moral rights. According to the Holy Quran, we find many noble verses that call for mercy, forgiveness, grace, pardon and peace, all of which are vocabulary indicating the noble approach of Islamic humanity. On the other hand, we find that the teachings and recommendations of Islam forbid aggression, transgression, injustice, coercion and cruelty against others, including those closest to him, who are members of his family and his family.


Types of Family Violence in the Saudi Society

• Physical violence
• Psychological and emotional violence
• Sexual violence
• Verbal violence
• Financial and economic violence
• Neglect
• Cultural and social violence
• Electronic violence

Submitting reports of Family violence by communicating via

Call: 1919
Reporting Center: Twitter
Email: 1919@hrsd.gov.sa

Protecting Children from Juvenile’s Employment

Chapter Ten of the Saudi Labor Law regarding the employment of juvenile states the following:

Article (161)

Juveniles may not be employed in hazardous jobs or harmful industries, or in occupations and businesses that are likely to endanger their health, safety, or morals, due to their nature or the circumstances in which they are performed. The minister determined by a decision from businesses and industries and professions referred to.

Article (162)

It is not permissible to employ any person who has not completed fifteen years of age and is not permitted to enter the workplace, and the Minister may raise this age in some industries or regions or for some categories of juveniles by a decision from him.
As an exception to Paragraph (1) of this Article, the Minister may permit the employment or work of persons between (13-15) years of age in light work, in which the following shall be observed:
1/2 - is not likely to be harmful to their health or development.
2/2 that does not disrupt their school attendance and their participation in orientation or vocational training programs, nor does it impair their ability to benefit from the education they receive.

Article (163)

It is prohibited to employ Juvenile during a period of the night not less than twelve consecutive hours, except in cases specified by the Minister by his decision.

Article (164)

Juveniles may not be employed for more than six hours per day for the rest of the months of the year, except for the month of Ramadan, in which the actual working hours must not exceed four hours.
The working hours are organized so that the Juvenile does not work for more than four consecutive hours, without a period or more for rest, food and prayer, of no less than half an hour at one time, and so that he does not stay in the workplace for more than seven hours. Juveniles may not be employed on weekends, holidays, official holidays and annual leave. The exceptions stipulated in Article 106 of this system shall not apply to them.

Article (165)

Before employing a juvenile, the employer must obtain from him the following documents:


• National identity card or official certificate of his birth.
• A certificate of fitness for the required work, issued by a specialized doctor, and certified by a health authority.
• The consent of the juvenile’s guardian.

These documents must be saved in the file for the Juvenile.

Article (166)

The employer must inform the competent labor office of every juvenile that he occupies during the first week of his employment, and he must keep at the workplace a special register for the juvenile workers in which he shows the name of the juvenile, his age, the full name of his guardian, his place of residence and the date of his employment.

Article (167)

The provisions stipulated in this chapter do not apply to work performed by children and juveniles in schools for the purposes of general, vocational or technical education, and in other training institutions, and they do not apply to work performed in establishments by persons who have reached at least fourteen years of age if this work It is carried out in accordance with conditions determined by the Minister, and the work was an essential part of the following:
An educational or training course the primary responsibility of which rests with a school or training institution.
A training program, the largest part of which will be implemented, or all of it, in an establishment if the competent authority has approved it.
An advisory or orientation program designed to facilitate the choice of profession or type of training.

Care for Orphans and Children of Unknown Parentage

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been concerned with the matter of orphans and has promoted their care, and this care extended, and its foundations were confirmed, and the responsibility was assigned to follow up the conditions of orphans, touch their needs, and take their hands to ensure their dignity and achieve their self-reliance.
The General Administration for Orphans is the agency for social welfare and family in the Ministry which is responsible and supervising all the affairs of orphans and their care, and aims to work towards setting general policies for the care of orphan children and those of similar status and social groups with special conditions of unknown parents and their inclusion in care, education and reform in accordance with the principles of the tolerant Islamic Sharia With modern scientific methods through residential homes and institutions, or following up their care within foster or friendly families, the General Administration for Orphan Care provides its services through two specialized technical departments: the Department of Orphans Affairs and the Department of Residential Care.
Includes:

1 - Department of Orphan Sponsorship Affairs

The Department of Orphan Sponsorship Affairs is based on the firm belief and conviction that the natural family atmosphere is the appropriate environment for upbringing and caring for an orphan child from socio-psychological and mental aspects, and considering joining one of the residential branches as the last practical solutions and the last stage of the orphan care when the social research proves that this family atmosphere is not available to take care of the orphan with one of their relatives or any foster family, and this department also supervises the foster families system and the friendly family system.
The Department of Orphan Sponsorship Affairs studies the sponsorship requests in accordance with the terms and regulations for this.
The foster family and the friendly family programs supervised by the administration:


• The foster family
  

It is that a family takes care of an orphan child from among the orphans who are supervised by the Ministry completely and permanently, providing them psychological safety and emotional satisfaction, and earns them the optimal social norms and values, where the orphan child is a member of the family according to the Sharia regulations governing this matter.

• The friendly family
  

It is a program that aims to compensate orphan children who have not had the opportunity to embrace by handing over to families wishing to take care of them partial care according to a system whereby one of the normal families in the community connects with one or more orphan children residing in one of the social housing homes of the Agency for Social Welfare and Development in order to host him with them. During a specific period, such as the vacation period (holidays, weekend or summer vacation), then the child is returned after the leave or the specified period ends to the home or institution in which he resides.

One of the most important objectives of the Department of Orphan Sponsorship Affairs is to receive the requests of families who wish to sponsor this group and who wish to be rewarded from God that have the ability and competence to care for orphan children and compensate them for their loss of their parents, as the opportunity is available to decent families who wish to take care of orphans. The foster families and friendly families are chosen according to special social criteria so that they have the right social climate and the desired elements of social upbringing, and they express a desire to take care of these children within the family members, and thus are entrusted with the care and upbringing of orphans and those of similar status, and these children are subject to continuous supervision and follow-up from the Ministry’s branches. Financial aid is paid for each child in exchange for his care, the amount of which reaches (2000) riyals per month for the family that sponsors a child under the age of six years and an amount of (3000) riyals per month for the family that sponsors a child over the age of six (for those who apply for it from families The sponsor), and at the end of the sponsorship period, the foster family will receive a reward of (20,000) riyals for each child whose sponsorship period has expired.

2 - Residential Care Department

The Residential Care Department works to create proper family stability for children covered by residential care within nurseries, social education homes and model education institutions, and prepares statistical, technical and administrative reports on childcare programs, and supervises social nurseries and social education homes for boys and girls and model education institutions.

Social Nurseries

The first stages of caring for orphans. The social nurseries are social institutions affiliated with the Social Affairs Agency, and they aim to provide comprehensive care for young children, including orphans and those with special circumstances of unknown parents and the like, who do not have proper care in the family or natural community.
Social nurseries have been prepared to provide the appropriate social and psychological climate for children from birth until the age of six, in addition to full accommodation to compensate the child as much as possible for the absence of a natural family, as they find appropriate health, social, psychological, educational and recreational care for such a stage of life. These homes are supervised by the Department of Residential Care, one of the departments of the General Administration of Orphan Care.

Conditions for admission to social nurseries


1. Only Saudi children are accepted into the nursery, who are not available to take care of their families or suitable alternative families.
2. To be among the cases of people with special circumstances who are orphans or of unknown parents and those of similar status, or from cases of family disintegration or the death of those entitled to custody of the child or his affliction with an intractable mental, nervous or physical disease.
3. Younger than 7 years old.
4. Shall not be suffering from contagious diseases.
5. The consent of the person who takes care of the child in writing to enroll him in the foster home after it is proven that he is unable to care for him.

Aspects of appropriate care provided by social nurseries

First: Comprehensive care inside the home, includes

1. Offering housing and care for an orphan.
2. Providing food according to health standards and under medical supervision.
3. Periodic health follow-up on children and preventive medical examination.
4. Maintaining the cleanliness of the child in his body and clothes.
5. Dressing the child in appropriate clothes to his age and gender, according to the specifications prepared by the specialists.
6. Providing an appropriate social environment that fills as much as possible the deficiency resulting from the absence of a natural family for children.
7. Rising them with the Islamic values according to what their age allows, and according to the recommendations of educational experts.
8. Providing pre-school education opportunities for children, according to their aptitudes and ages, to accustom them to self-reliance and to provide them with the opportunity to discover and distinguish the personal characteristics of others.
9. Enrolling a group of children in an outside kindergarten to achieve the opportunity to mix with other children to develop their perceptions and abilities.
10. Enrolling children in primary schools after the age of six, and providing all possible means to achieve a good level during their studies.
11. Saving an amount of money from the time the child deposited a monthly bonus in his private account until his registration at the home is terminated.
12. Psychological care for the child, which includes conducting psychological tests and speech sessions according to the type of case.
13. Providing educational, recreational and cultural programs for children and giving them the opportunity to practice them individually and collectively under the supervision of incubators.

Second: Internal programs and activities


In the field of internal activity, nurseries pay attention to develop the child's experiences and provide him with social, cultural and other skills through the activities that they implement for children inside the home under the supervision of the administrative and technical apparatus at the home. The internal programs and activities include simple games and, in the garden, and the practice of sports activity under the supervision of the incubator and practicing an educational activity for children from two to four years under the supervision of a social worker, in addition to children's participation in the kitchen activity to know the names of natural nutrients, developing cultural activity by conducting cultural and educational competitions, presenting puppet theater activities, practicing agricultural activities, and providing an atmosphere of competition between children, in addition to implementing recreational activities include preparing incubators, supervising a social worker for children, preparing and developing the capacities of infants, and enrolling children from the age of 4-6 years in the internal kindergarten at the home under the supervision of the kindergarten supervisor and teachers.


Third: External programs and activities


It depends on a diverse activity that is carried out at specific times and aims to integrate children into the external community and includes the following:

1. Visiting commercial centers and malls, popular markets, artistic and cultural exhibitions, as well as public facilities and cultural landmarks, going to farms and organizing targeted outdoor leisure trips.
2. Attending some social events such as marriage parties.
3. Participation in social parties and hospital parties.
4. Participation in some internal and external camps implemented by one of the social homes of the Agency for Social Affairs and under its supervision.
5. Organizing visits for children over the age of six to the Home of Social Education for boys at the end of each week as a preliminary measure for their transfer to the cubs section in the home.

Homes of social education for boys and girls

The social education homes aim to accommodate orphans, of unknown parents and those of similar status of both sexes, and to create the appropriate climate for the home to act as a trusted breadwinner alternative to the natural family, and to provide integrated care for these children for their healthy growth and adaptation to themselves and their society through the social education homes for boys and the social education homes for girls.
These homes receive orphans who have reached the age of six, and have been prepared to accommodate, care for and raise them so that it is as close as possible to the natural family home.
Students continue with the social education home for boys until the age of twelve, and then the model education institutions receive them after this age until they finish their studies in schools affiliated with the Ministry of Education, or they are enrolled in suitable work, or are prepared to reside in the external community. Meanwhile, female students remain in girls' social education homes until they are prepared to become housewives capable of preparing a decent family life.
Each male and female student in the social education home receives remuneration according to their stages of study, for the male and female students in the elementary stage their monthly remuneration is (500) riyals, and the students of the middle stage in the education homes or model institution, their monthly remuneration is (700) riyals. As for high school students in educational homes or a model institution, their monthly remuneration is (900) riyals. As for undergraduate students, their monthly remuneration is (1200) riyals.


Who can be accepted to social education home

Social education homes accept the following:

1. An orphan of one or both parents.
2. Unknown parentage.
3. Children with broken families.

Conditions for joining the social education homes for boys and girls:

1. That the person to be enrolled or attached to the home must be one of the previous categories.
2. That the age of the child at the time of submitting the application for admission is not less than six years and not more than twelve years for students only.
3. They should not have a family from their relatives that can take care of them.
4. That the living conditions surrounding them threaten to deviate them if they continue in them.
5. That the social research proves the applicability of the conditions and their eligibility to enter the home.
   
6. They must not be suffering from infectious diseases, disabilities and mental illnesses.
7. The Minister of Labor and Social Affairs may exempt from one or more conditions of acceptance when necessary and in special exceptional cases (orphan - age - nationality).

Model Education Institutions:

The model educational institutions in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are considered the next stage for caring for male orphans who graduate in social education homes after obtaining the primary certificate, and these orphans are usually excellent students who excel in theoretical studies, and model education institutions aim to accommodate and embrace them to provide opportunities for care and intermediate education And secondary to them afterwards.


Conditions for joining model education institutions:


For the student to be admitted to the Model Education Institution, the following conditions are required:

1. To be an orphan of one of the parents.
2. The Social Education Home to which they were enrolled must submit a report explaining the current living conditions of the student that require his enrollment in the Model Education Institution, along with providing this institution with the entire student file of the Social Education House.
3. That the student fulfills the conditions stipulated by the Ministry of Education to accept students for intermediate education in terms of age and total grades in the elementary certificate.
4. The student should be willing to enroll in intermediate education, or technical or vocational institutes.
5. The medical examination must prove his safety from the diseases that hinder his benefit from his accommodation and care in the Model Education Institution.
6. That he during elementary school an example of diligence and diligence and excels in study, good conduct and behavior during his previous stay in the Social Education House.

Aspects of social welfare and activities in model education institutions:


The model educational institutions depend on planning sponsorship programs and various activities, and supervising their implementation and follow-up by a technical committee formed for this purpose, where coordination is made between social, cultural and sports activities, occupying leisure time with useful hobbies, organizing study times, and so on. The institution’s social department supervises all activities and programs inside and outside the institution.


Orphans Marriage:


Since the Ministry is the alternative legal guardian for orphan girls and those of similar status, the issue of raising up and marrying girls is one of the most important work that the agency carries out, as conditions and controls are set for the applicant for marriage. During the completion of the marriage forms, which include two parts, a special section for the applicant to marry and include all the necessary data about him, in addition to attaching health and social documents about him as well, and the other part of the form includes the necessary data about the girl and her care and other documents about the girl’s desire to enter married life and accept the applicant.

Initiatives and services provided by the Ministry of Health

Vaccination Reminder Service

Within the framework of the efforts carried out by the Ministry of Health (MOH) to maintain the health of children in the Kingdom, and protect them and the community groups of diseases, it established this service to remind parents of the deadlines of the basic vaccinations against diseases targeted by immunization according to the MOH new vaccinations schedule, in terms of sending a reminding message of the vaccination date on the mobile phone, e-mail by the vaccination child week.
For the list of basic vaccinations, click here.


Child Health

To access the services, please visit this page.

Initiatives and services provided by the Ministry of Education

Early childhood development and care

The Ministry of Education laid down the basics for students' physical, social, emotional, and intellectual development and their development simultaneously, in the early stages of childhood between the ages of 3-8 years, and that process at each stage depends on the capabilities achieved by the child in the previous stage. These policies came to touch the special needs of young learners, to raise performance levels, and to develop plans to build, and institutional formation, for the child's entry and preparation for higher education stages.
To access the service, click here.

School Health

It is a set of concepts, principles, systems and services provided with the aim of promoting student health at an early age to raise the level of public health, by making use of health sciences such as: public health, preventive medicine, health education, biostatistics, nutrition as well as educational sciences, in addition to employing communication and media to spread health awareness directly in School, or indirectly into the general community.
To access the service, click here.

Initiatives and services provided by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development

Child protection law

To access the service, click here.

Care for orphans and children of unknown parentage

To access the service, click here.

Juvenile care

To access the service, click here.

Awareness of the causes of family violence #talatf

To access the service, click here.

Related Links

• Child protection law
  
• Abuse Protection law
• Vaccinations
• School Health
• Protect children from the dangers of the Internet
• Awareness to prevent family violence
• The introductory guide definitions, forms and severity of family violence
• Juvenile employment under the labor law
• Family Affairs Council - Childhood Committee