China pilot program to better protect minors

BEIJING, May 14 (Xinhua) -- A pilot program covering 19 cities and a prefecture will be run to help establish a social system to protect the rights of the minors, the Ministry of Civil Affairs announced on Tuesday.

The program is aimed at reducing the number of vagrant minors to a minimum and ensuring health for minors by helping those in need and their families with their livelihoods, custody, education and growth, officials with the ministry said.

Though measures have been taken by the ministry to protect the rights of minors in recent years, some of them are still faced with problems concerning survival, custody and growth due to poverty, domestic violence and improper education, according to the ministry.

The program has asked the 19 cities, including Beijing and Dalian, and Aksu Prefecture in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, to establish a network of protection connecting communities.

The places will conduct checks on dropout children and kids who are roaming, begging and without custody.

The cities and the prefecture are also required to contribute to a crackdown on crimes using and instigating minors.

We Recommend:
Young tenants' dream in Beijing	Brazilian self-defense martial art gains popularity	Huge rubber duck visits Hong Kong
5 years after Wenchuan earthquake	Flight attendent recruitment in Wuhan	China embraces beginning of summer
Photo story: Little boy walking on his hands	Beijing welcomes longest subway line in the world	S China city becomes Venice after heavy rain