Improving care for China's orphans

Last week's deadly fire at an unlicensed orphanage in Lankao, Henan Province, which left 7 children dead, has prompted a fierce debate on the fate of orphaned children in China.

The owner of the property, who was taking care of the children, has been criticized for not being qualified, but the local government is also under the spotlight, for turning a blind eye to the orphanage, which had been operating for many years, and for not doing enough to help the owner. But what are the alternatives for China's abandoned and parentless children? The Ministry of Civil Affairs has now responded with what it calls a "Blue Sky Plan", to help. has the details.

By 2015, more than 500 counties in the county will have a public orphanage. That's the commitment made under the Ministry of Civil Affairs' "Blue Sky Plan" , to be launched during the 12th five-year-plan.

It comes amid a fierce discussion about adoption in China.

Last week's fire in Lankao has raised many questions about the government's responsibility to orphans. Official data shows China has a poor record in looking after homeless children.

There are thought to be around 610 thousand parentless children under 18 in China. Only one in six are taken into public care. The others are raised by kind-hearted individuals or relatives.

The fact is, there are simply not enough children's homes in China. Only 64 of China's 2853 counties, have officially established orphanages - that's just 2 percent.

Wang Zhenyao, head of Beijing Normal University Welfare Research Institute, said, "There is vacuum in child welfare. But the Chinese economy keeps growing... so now it's time for the government to step in. First they should support children's homes financially. Second, there should be proper supervision of these institutions."

Xu Jianzhong, deputy director of Social Welfare Dept., Ministry of Civil Affairs, said, "There are several things we can do. First, official children's homes must be fully supported financially. Second, local governments must help train care workers. We are also pushing for a change to the adoption laws, to lower the benchmark for the legal adoption of one or two children. "

But there are many people who have been taking in much more than just one or two children. The owner of the orphanage in Lankao had taken care of over 100, during two decades.

Yang Yunxian, a farmer in Shanxi province, has raised over 40 abandoned babies in the last 15 years. And in Liaoning province, Zheng Anhong has given a new start to 11 children, using income from selling fruit.

The problem of China's abandoned children is one that's crying out for an urgent solution.