The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has selected three Chinese provinces to launch its trial program on the prevention of child abuse and neglect, said a UNICEF project officer in Hangzhou on Thursday.

Wang Daming, a UNICEF's project officer, said the program will be launched in Zhejiang, Guangdong and Shaanxi provinces, respectively in east, south and northwest China.

The program, jointly with the All-China Women's Federation will focus on the protection of children from abuses in school, family and medical institutions.

Wang said, the program will support and guide families in raising and upbringing their children, and work to prevent child abuse and neglect through laws, education and with the help social workers.

UNICEF's anti-child abuse program has three objectives including prevention, intervention and rescue.

Zhao Ling, vice chairwoman of the Zhejiang Provincial Women's Federation, said the UNICEF program will help her province evaluate, investigate and supervise the violence, abuse and neglect of children.

Meanwhile, the program in Guangdong will focus on monitoring child abuse in problem families, while Shaanxi's program will emphasis child abuse in medical institutions.

According to UNICEF's figures, millions of children were exposed to various forms of abuse and neglect in China, especially in outlying rural areas in central and western regions of the country.

Source: Xinhua