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New measures help street kids find homes
By Yuan Wu (China Daily)
Updated: 2006-01-24 06:01
Nineteen central government departments are joining forces to help homeless
children, the Legal Daily reported yesterday.
The government's focus is to prevent children from living on the streets, and
to help those who are already there.
Children will be provided with the basic means of living as well as some
psychological guidance. The departments also plan to crack down on groups of
teenage criminals.
Increased funds will be used to improve the drop-in centres for street
children, said Dou Yupei, vice-minister of civil affairs, according to the Legal
Daily.
The Ministry of Civil Affairs is raising its standards for the drop-in
centres, Dou said. New specifications will be set for equipment, services,
management and staff qualifications.
The 130 nationwide drop-in centres will employ full-time personnel, with
training in psychology, moral, cultural and legal education and professional
skill training, the newspaper reported.
The conference was held Friday in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, and included the
ministries of civil affairs, education and public security.
This is China's first comprehensive document dedicated to the protection and
management of homeless kids. The document clearly defines the respective duties
for each department.
For example, local educational departments are charged with helping homeless
kids return home, and will also provide financial support and special
educational care. The local departments of labour and social security will offer
free introduction and training programmes of employment to homeless kids above
the age of 16.
Officials will be evaluated based on their ability to fulfil the new
requirements of helping to protect and manage street kids. Officials proved
incompetent will be punished.
In 2005, China had about 150,000 homeless children, according to statistics
from the Ministry of Civil Affairs.
The figure has remained steady throughout the past few years. Currently,
there are 130 drop-in centres and more than 1,000 rescuing and management
stations in China.
Among all drop-in centres, about 80 need urgent facility and personnel
upgrades.
(China Daily 01/24/2006 page2)
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