Seventy-Nine Centers For Homeless Children Set Up in China

The Ministry of Civil Affairs (MCA) said Thursday that by the end of June, China had set up 79 centers for homeless children, providing medical services, protection and education for the children.

A MCA official said that "the Chinese government is doing all it can to help homeless children, as well as to the disabled children, orphans, and the children in poor areas."

Statistics show that China has about 150,000 homeless children. Most of them are males and come from the countryside. The majority of those children are aged between eight and fifteen, and are illiterate or semi-illiterate.

MCA official said that the centers provide various services helping homeless children to eventually return to normal life.

According to the official, poverty and bad relationships with family members are the major reasons why the children run away from home.



People's Daily Online --- http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/