Riya Mala 
[File Photo]
Parents providing false information to secure school assistance could face police action, as the Foundation for Needy Children Fiji moves to protect support meant for the country’s most vulnerable children.
FENC Fiji National Executive Coordinator Priti Lata says applications will be terminated immediately if parents falsify information or fail to disclose assistance received from other organizations.
Lata says the foundation has encountered cases of parents seeking assistance from multiple organizations, raising concerns about whether support is reaching those most in need.
She warns that parents who receive school supplies after providing false information could also be reported to police.
“For these applications, they are terminated instantly. If the children have received backpacks and the parents have falsified information that can also be a police case. It will be reported to police. Because in our application form, there is a line which is a declaration of true information.”
Lata says applications are now open for the 2027 programme, which aims to assist up to 7,000 children.
FENC Fiji representative Litiana Kuru says officials are being deployed to application venues to help parents complete their registrations correctly and ensure all required information is provided.
“We also have the selection criteria that we strictly recommend parents to abide by and follow, as vetting will also be done after the applications. The vetting team is an independent panel; we do not take part in those processes.”
Kuru says the move follows cases of double-dipping and incomplete applications in previous years, prompting tighter checks to ensure assistance reaches families in need.
