More Attention and Help for the Young

The Child Welfare in China – Stocktaking Report 2011 was recently released, co-authored by the Ministry of Civil Affairs, UNICEF and the One Foundation Philanthropy Research Institute of Beijing Normal University. It advises the government to increase institutional support in three areas – treatment for sick children, care for disabled kids and pre-school education, and estimates that RMB 60 billion (US $9.26 billion) would suffice to defray the costs of relevant services. The report reveals that the number of orphans on the Chinese mainland has grown by 24 percent, from 574,000 in 2005 to 712,000 in 2010. Children with disabilities aged 17 and below total 5.04 million. Rural kids left behind by parents seeking work opportunities in cities stand at 58 million. By the end of 2010 the population of children with HIV/AIDS is estimated to reach a figure between 496,000 and 894,000.