China's Civil Affairs Ministry (MCA) announced the official opening of an online management system for left-behind children on Tuesday, in an effort to give them greater protection.
The ministry explains that the platform will gather real-time information, with updates and announcements about these children in China, which refers to youngsters who have been left at home in a village or town while their parents go off to look for work in the major cities.
It is expected to help society better help these children in great need, by connecting with databases dealing with livelihoods, poverty-stricken households and disabilities, the MCA explained, adding that the idea for the system came from the State Council and central government, in a televised conference on Tuesday.
China has more than 60 million of these children in rural areas, left behind with relatives, usually grandparents, the Xinhua News Agency has reported, while noting that they can easily become the victims of killers and traffickers or may end up being suicidal.
The MCA is asking civil affairs departments at all levels to put this high on their agenda and make sure that it runs normally. County-and village-level governments have been told to gather information on these left-behind children in rural areas before the end of November.
