Rehabilitation programs for poor mentally-disabled children

The implementation plan for public welfare funding for the disabled from lotteries has the following provisions:

Subsidy receivers

Sponsored children shall meet the following conditions:
- Poor mentally-disabled children in need of rehabilitation in urban and rural areas. Those in families receiving subsistence allowances will be given priority.
- Under 7 years old.
- Child with a clear diagnosis, in need of rehabilitation training and in stable condition, whose family members are supportive.

Subsidy standards

The central government offers 12,000 yuan for each child every year.

Subsidy goal

The goal is to fund a total of 37,500 mentally-challenged children during from 2012 to 2015 to help them take care of themselves, adapt to society and increase learning abilities, and help their parents grasp basic recovery principles and methods for their children.

Assignment of responsibility

Organization and management
The China Disabled Persons' Federation is responsible for implementation, inspection and supervision of projects nationwide; fund use and management; coordination in solving major problems in project implementation; and evaluation of project effectiveness.

The China Disabled Persons' Federation's social service guidance center formulates project implementation plans, takes care of project arrangements and management, and carries out technical training; supervises implementation development and quality of projects nationwide; arranges for experts to give professional guidance, inspection and evaluation; and summarizes and gives feedback on annual project implementation development.

The Provincial disabled persons' associations formulate their own plans and take care of their own project implementation and management; designate recovery centers, special education facilities, kindergartens receiving both the healthy and the disabled, and maternal and child care service centers at provincial, city and county levels; screen subsidy receivers; regularly supervise and inspect project quality and fund use; carry out technical training,; take care of annual project summaries and statistics; strengthen project social publicity and call public attention to support for recovery of the disabled.

Training service

The China Disabled Persons' Federation's social service guidance center coordinates related experts to form project expert teams; formulates basic norms and inspections and evaluation methods for recovery training of disabled children; compiles recovery teaching materials; popularizes practical rehabilitation technology; helps mentally-challenged children get all-around development and adapt to social life; carries out professional guidance and technical training at rehabilitation institutes; and participates in inspection and evaluation of project effects.

Recovery centers, special education facilities, kindergartens receiving both the healthy and the disabled, and maternal and child care service centers at various levels ensure professional personnel and necessary equipment for the recovery of mentally-challenged children. Professional institute's evaluation and training and family rehabilitation guidance should be integrated to give the subsidized children systematic recovery treatment, and regular evaluation and review to improve results. Recovery should be extended from professional institutes to communities and families.

Work procedure

Provincial disabled persons' federations and those in project regions should investigate local rehabilitation training institutions and identify qualified recovery centers, special education facilities, kindergartens receiving both the healthy and the disabled, and maternal and child care service centers at various levels. Project goal responsibility letters should be signed and submitted to the China Disabled Persons' Federation's social service guidance center to be put on record.

Local disabled persons' associations should arrange for relevant experts to screen mentally-challenged children and pick candidates that meet prescribed conditions. Parents (custodians) should apply, community (village) committee should recommend and local disabled persons' association should review and fill in official rehabilitation forms and submit them to their provincial counterparts. Subsidy cards will be delivered to those in need afterwards.

They should also arrange for subsidized children to receive rehabilitation evaluation at an appointed institute, develop individualized training plans, and be trained in exercise, perception, cognition, speech, independent living and social adaptation abilities. Rehabilitation training will be recorded and evaluated on a regular basis and parents will receive training too. Rehabilitation at institutes should be for at least a half day every day over a six months period. Weekly and daily sessions should be arranged as required. Rehabilitation institutions should offer various culture and entertainment activities, at least four times a year. Community and family guidance should be in place after the institute training is finished. Follow-up visit should be ensured at least once a month.

Rehabilitation institutions and local disabled persons' associations should pay special attention to the transition between early recovery and mandatory preschool education for mentally-challenged children and ensure those who reach school age receive education opportunities. Necessary guidance, support and assistance should be offered to help those children adapt to social life.

Rehabilitation training institutions should fill in the poor mentally-challenged children rehabilitation training registry statistics forms and submit them to disabled persons' associations at the provincial (autonomous region or municipal) level. Those associations should then fill in statistics forms reflecting development of the whole province, enter project information into a database, and submit it to the China Disabled Persons' Federation's social service guidance center and the federation's information center.

The China Disabled Persons' Federation's social service guidance center is in charge of project work training. It should hold at least a rehabilitation training session nationwide every year and arrange for experts to give professional guidance based on needs. Provincial rehabilitation organizations should take care of their own project implementation training and guidance work.

Fund management

Project funds shall mainly be used for rehabilitation training, parents' training, family rehabilitation guidance, preparation of rehabilitation files and training materials. The money will be reviewed by the China Disabled Persons' Federation and be reported to the Ministry of Finance before being delivered to provincial finance administrations. Fund allocation documents will also be submitted to provincial-level disabled persons' associations and ombudsman offices of the Ministry of Finance's branches at the provincial (municipal or autonomous region) level. Funds should be allocated to assigned units punctually and local finance departments should make an overall plan of fund use.

Rehabilitation training costs that can be covered by local urban medical insurance and the New Rural Co-operative Medical System should be reimbursed accordingly.

Work requirement

Inspection and evaluation
Inspection and evaluation of rehabilitation programs for poor mentally-challenged children covers project organization and implementation, task completion, personnel training, technical guidance, social publicity and funds management and use.

The China Disabled Persons' Federation will work with relevant departments to jointly conduct midterm and terminal evaluation and acceptance checks.

The China Disabled Persons' Federation's social service guidance center will arrange for relevant experts to conduct random checks on project implementation, summarize annual project development and offer regular feedback and reports, popularize good techniques and methods, and push for in-depth development of rehabilitation work for mentally-challenged children.

Provincial disabled persons' associations should regularly conduct project supervision and inspection, identify and solve problems, and take care of supervision and inspection work records. They should offer regular work summaries, deliver annual project development reports before January 31, and communicate with the China Disabled Persons' Federation's social service guidance center on outstanding problems.

Quality control

1. 100 percent of rehabilitation evaluation and training of mentally-challenged children is recorded;
2. More than 85 percent of rehabilitation training is effective;
3. More than 90 percent of parents are satisfied with their knowledge about the rehabilitation training of their children;
4. 100 percent of parents undergo training;
5, More than 85 percent of parents are satisfied with the training work;
6, No fewer than four activities are held every year to help subsidized children adapt to cultural, entertainment and other social activities.