Better protection and guarantees for children in plight

Shanghai's authorities have ordered strengthened efforts in the care and protection of children in plight, and left-behind children in rural areas, in terms of their living subsidies, medical treatment and education ahead of  Children's Day, the city's civil affairs bureau announced on Sunday.

A notice released by the bureau and 13 government authorities such as the Shanghai Education Commission, Shanghai Development and Reform Commission and Shanghai Public Security Bureau ordered strengthened protection and guarantees for children in plight.

The notice will be implemented from Monday, Children's Day, according to the bureau.

The safeguard scheme in the city targets children in plight including those whose parents have serious disabilities, sickness, are serving jail terms, under drug rehabilitation, die, missing, or those who are abandoned or maltreated by their guardians.

Children in plight due to absent or improper guardianship have been included in the city's living subsidy scheme from this year. The standard is 1,900 yuan (US$266.5) per child monthly.

The medical treatment subsidy standard for children in plight will be the same as members of households receiving subsistence allowances instead of referring to the financial situation of their guardian families.

Education support for children in plight will be based on the orphan standard with tuition and other fees exempted on different educations phases of children.

Family education for children in plight will be stepped up, and visits, temporary rescue, and legal assistance for them will be enhanced with the intervention of the city's youth league and women's federation.

Civil affairs authorities will set up rescue and protection agencies for juveniles to provide help for homeless children or those with temporary absent guardianship and children's welfare agencies between 2021 and 2025.

In addition, all subdistricts and towns in the city are ordered to designate at least one children counselor responsible for the care and protection of children in plight and left-behind children.

Every neighborhood committee should have a children director for the same work.

The city has had 267 children counselors and 6,271 children directors so far.

The team of children welfare social workers in the city will be expanded, and services for the protection and care of these children will be included in the service purchase list of government authorities.