New approach reaps dividends for orphans

A charity in a northeastern suburb of Beijing which uses an inclusive approach to prepare orphans with congenital disabilities for adoption said the practice has begun to reap sustainable rewards.

At the Beijing Chunmiao Children's Base in Shunyi district, children waiting to be adopted do not call their caregivers "teacher" as in most orphanages in China. Instead, they are divided into groups of six, which are known as "families", and each family is allocated a volunteer couple to act as the parents. The children refer to each other as "siblings".

Some experts have said that orphanages in China often face challenges, such as overcrowding and low levels of staffing which can sometimes result in the children's psychological development being overlooked.