CHINA> Focus
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CHINA> Focus
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Watching out for the kids
By Li Wenfang and Xiang Yiwen (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-09-25 08:57 There are more than 150 million migrant workers in China and 58 million "left-behind" children, including 40 million under the age of 14, show separate studies by the All-China Women's Federation and Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security. Accidents are the No 1 killer of youngsters in China, said a report by the Guangdong branch of the women's federation. Most victims are children of migrant workers not supervised during school holidays, the report said.
Experts say the main problems are that rural parents are not city savvy and maintain their "relaxed, rural attitude" to parenting despite the dangers of their new city environment. They are also often reluctant to send their children to care centers because of the costs. "Children who come to the city to see their parents are at the most risk of drowning or getting lost, kidnapped and robbed," said an official at the public security bureau in Dongguan, another major industrial city in Guangdong with a large population of migrant workers. "They are less sophisticated than urban kids and can be swayed into danger with just the offer of ice cream or candy." Up to 60,000 children are reported missing each year in China, according to the Ministry of Public Security. The All-China Women's Federation added that victims of child trafficking gangs make up a large proportion, with most being rural youngsters new to the city. "Countryside parents are partly to blame but, during summer and winter holidays, we issue warnings to make sure they know to keep their children safe," added the security bureau official. Girls left behind in rural areas by migrant parents are also highly vulnerable to sex assaults, said singer-songwriter Han Hong, a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference who proposed greater protection for young rural women during the annual sessions in March. Child safety experts say the statistics support their calls for tighter laws, especially for "left-behind" youngsters. Just one sentence in the Law on the Protection of Minors covers their safety, stating only that migrant parents should "authorize a suitable and capable adult to take custody in their absence". "However, the law does not stipulate what makes a suitable and capable adult, meaning un-vetted custodians can easily take custody," said Zeng at the Guangdong research center. Chen Yebin, president of the Family Education Research Institute, under the Guangdong provincial education department, agreed and warned: "The laws we have lack details. This can only lead to more negligence and abuse. Without the proper laws, parents will not gain the necessary legal awareness. Now they regard child safety as a family matter, not a matter of human rights." The current supervision system is muddled and inefficient, said lawyer Song, who explained parents and guardians, their employers, neighborhood committees, village committees and local civil affairs departments all share the responsibility in protecting children. However, this can lead to disputes as to who is to blame when an accident occurs. "Social intervention is the only way to educate people in good parenting," he said. "The law to protect minors says custodians should learn about child safety, while related government agencies and social organizations should provide guidance. But there are no detailed, supporting measures." However, while tougher laws may help reduce accidents involving children, Monica Cui, executive director of Safe Kids Worldwide China, said it should not be ignored most Chinese are unable to quit their jobs to care for children because of serious financial constraints. "In China, usually both parents must work to support the family, this is the economic reality and we cannot make legislation while ignoring that. Raising safety awareness should come before legislation," she said. The average salary of a rural migrant worker is only about 1,500 yuan, similar to that of a new college graduate, said Minister of Human Resources and Social Security Yin Weimin this month.
Despite its 1.3-billion population, China still lacks third-party foster care facilities, which are vital to supplement the efforts of parents and the government. Care services for "left-behind" youths are now operational in provinces including Anhui, Sichuan and Jiangxi, while the Gansu provincial government has invested 20 million yuan this year to build 1,000 children's homes, according to an All-China Women's Federation report. In Sichuan, migrant children have already been incorporated into the urban system to ensure they enjoy the same rights, the report said. However, Mo Yiyun, who works for the children's division of the Guangdong women's federation, said the homes were "insufficient" without legal support or an effective working mechanism. The National Program of Action for Child Development in China (2001-10) pledged to improve legislation and use the full force of the law to protect youngsters. The plan also pledged to educate law enforcers, as well as set up a social services network including legal aid for children. So far, the program has seen the death rates of babies and children under five drop to 1.5 percent and 1.8 percent respectively in 2007 from 5 percent and 6 percent in 1991, said Huang Qingyi, deputy director of the National Working Committee on Children and Women under the State Council, in June. A report by the committee last month announced the establishment of 1,351 relief shelters for children and 152 for vagrant minors. More than 1 billion yuan has been invested since 2007 to set up 350 rescue and protection centers for vagrant minors in 80 percent of the nation's cities. "A new, detailed program will be drawn up next year, which will aim to reduce the malnutrition rate of children aged five and under and bring more migrant children into urban education systems," said a committee official surnamed Jiang. Hu Yongqi contributed to the story
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