The Ministry of Civil Affairs' promise to revise the rules to make it easier for individuals to adopt orphans or abandoned children is welcome. However, that such a promise is the result of the death of seven orphans in a fire at their impoverished foster mother's home shows how necessary it is to match words with deeds.

Remaining in doubt are to what degree such rules can be executed to the letter and how much importance those officials in charge of such work attach to the well-being of children who have been adopted by individuals or non-governmental orphanages.

Yuan Lihai, the foster mother of the seven children that died in Lankao county, Central China's Henan province, has adopted more than 100 abandoned children over 25 years. If not for the fire, she would still be caring for the 17 abandoned children that she was raising at the time, which clearly exceeds her capability.

Of the 615,000 orphans in the country, only 109,000 are in government-run orphanages, according to the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the rest are cared for by non-governmental orphanages or individuals. How many of them receive the care necessary for their healthy development?

The ministry intends to send in teams to examine the welfare of children in non-governmental orphanages and adopted by individuals. Such investigations are long overdue. The ministry has also promised that it will try to establish orphanages in the populous counties, since at present most counties in the country do not have such facilities.

Foster homes can provide adopted children with the nurturing environment they need. That the surviving orphans adopted by the villager in Lankao would rather stay with her than go to a government-run orphanage is a case in point.

It is high time that rules were made so that people such as Yuan can receive proper financial aid from the government if they have difficulty in raising the orphans they've adopted. If feasible, family-based orphanages could be established with the support and supervision of the government to solve the lack of orphanages. The adopters and local officials in charge are essential to the well-being of the orphans in their care.

(China Daily 01/15/2013 page8)