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New life for hapless kids

By Wang Ru (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-10-16 09:25

At weekends, the center often sends the children to museums and parks. Some volunteer households also take them in for a day to give them a feel of family.

Most children open up about their experiences after spending some time in the center. As soon as the center can contact their families and persuade their parents to change the way they treat them, the children are sent back accompanied by at least two supervisors.

But their job doesn't end there; the center keeps calling the children and their guardians regularly to know how they are getting along.

"We cannot just blame the parents; the whole society should join hands to keep children off the streets. We must help them return to the family and society," says Xiao Zhengcai.

A pressing problem

The Changsha Street Children Protection Center has taken in 800 street children and appealed to the local government for a larger place to cater for the increased numbers.

Director Xiao Zhengcai says most of the children are sent back to their homes or to foster homes. But some have to go to orphanages. "It is impossible for the center to keep many children for a long time," Xiao says.

The Ministry of Civil Affairs said there were 150,000 street children in China in a report in 2000.

By the end of 2008, the ministry will have invested 190 million yuan ($27 million) to build 96 protection centers for street children all over the country.

According to the ministry, special legislation on the protection of street children is under consideration.

At the end of September, the protection center finally persuaded Zeng's father to take back his daughter.

Li still cannot tell his home address. The center has posted his picture and information in the local newspaper, in the hope of tracing his parents.

Wang was sent back to her grandfather in September. Recently, she called back to say she missed everyone in the center.

Song, Lin and Xia were sent home after the center contacted their parents. They have promised the center they will change the way they treat their children.

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