Welfare of children

Earmarking billions from the central coffers for children's welfare and community service is an admirable precedent that deserves persistent follow-ups.

The 5.65 billion yuan ($743.4 million) the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and Ministry of Civil Affairs have jointly budgeted is a decent sum, considering there are so many undertakings and concerns vying for central financial input.

But unless there are major changes in the budget the ministry released recently, only slightly more than half of the money, 3.05 billion yuan in five years, to be exact, will be spent on building welfare institutions for children, a shelter system for vagrant juniors, and community service facilities.