Shanghai establishes guideline on guardianship eligibility

A guideline on assessing a person's eligibility for guardianship over minors in Shanghai, the first of its kind in China, will be released on Tuesday, according to Zhu Qinhao, deputy director of the municipal committee for the protection of minors.

The guideline marks a significant step in implementing the revised law on the protection of minors of China, said Zhu, who is also director of the Shanghai Civil Affairs Bureau, on Monday.

Based on official research, the guideline stipulates the goals, principles, assessment methods and other aspects related to the matter, according to Jiang Rui, deputy director of Shanghai Civil Affairs Bureau.

Jiang said the revised national law reinforces and specifies the government's responsibilities for the protection of minors and strengthens the fundamental role of governments in this area.

"Every child has a unique family background. It is difficult to determine using a specific standard whether children are facing difficulties in their family, whether parents have the willingness and ability to protect their kids, and whether the legal guardian would be able to perform their duty again while their children are taken care of by the government," Jiang said.

"We need a comprehensive assessment system to foster governmental assistance to families in protecting the minors."

An official public service platform in Shanghai with the hotline number 12345 launched a special section for minor protection issues on Tuesday. The platform is dedicated to resolving complaints, reports and suggestions concerning the legal rights and interests of minors.

The city will also strengthen the supervision and evaluation of local governmental departments in the field.

Four databases gathering experts, social resource, legal resource, and social workers respectively will be established as well.