China to promote construction of child welfare infrastructure

CHANGSHA -- China will push for the construction of child welfare infrastructure, according to a national work conference on child welfare held in Changsha, capital of Central China's Hunan province, on Thursday.

At least one institution for raising orphans and foundlings should be built in every city, in which orphans and foundlings can get medical and health care and education, said Huang Shuxian, minister of civil affairs, at the conference.

The construction of relief centers for minors should be advanced, Huang said.

Civil affairs departments at district or county level must have institutions responsible for the work of child welfare, including visiting and taking care of rural children left behind by parents working in cities and children in need of help.

County-level child welfare institutions that are underpopulated and poor in infrastructure can transfer their children to city-level institutions, according to Huang.

The country has 13.814 million people registered as living below the poverty line, among them 3.34 million are children, taking up nearly a quarter of the population.

Central authorities have invested nearly 2 billion yuan ($292 million) in building minor relief and child welfare institutions since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012.