Improve the care and protection system, establish and improve the working mechanism
Let left-behind children grow up healthily (people’s livelihood sight)
Children are the future and hope of the motherland. The party and the government attach great importance to the special group of left-behind children in rural areas. In recent years, many policies and measures have been introduced to give care and love. The “14th Five-Year Plan” outline also proposes to improve the care system for left-behind children. What are some good experiences and practices in caring for and protecting left-behind children? How to better improve the care system for left-behind children from the institutional level? What are the new expectations of the children? Please see this report.
–editor
Lixin County, located in the northwest of Anhui Province, was once a national poverty-stricken county. Among the county’s population of 1.75 million, nearly half are migrant workers, and the problem of left-behind children in rural areas caused by this is relatively prominent. As of the first quarter of this year, among the 203,000 children in Lixin County, there are more than 20,000 left-behind children in rural areas.
As the second batch of pilot counties for building a moderately inclusive grassroots child welfare system and the pilot counties for building a grassroots child welfare system of the Ministry of Civil Affairs “Hundreds of Counties and Thousand Villages”, Lixin County has given full play to multiple dimensions of community, social work, and social organizations in recent years. Establish a three-tiered child welfare service network of “county, township, and village”.
Build a network
Children’s homes are built in every village, and the child care and protection service system is fully covered
Not long ago, Mengqiao, a left-behind child in Qianshangzhuang Village, Zhongwang Community, Wangshi Town, Lixin County, received a gift from the “loving mother”-beautiful skirts and school supplies. Holding these gifts, Mengqiao happily circled around the volunteers.
Mengqiao, who was in the fifth grade of elementary school, had her parents working outside for a long time, and she usually lived with her grandparents. “Mengqiao is smart and cute, but grandparents are too old to take care of them.” Village cadre Liu Yun shook his head repeatedly, recalling the situation of the first visit.
Knowing about Mengqiao’s situation, Liu Yun recommended social workers Liang Hui and Zhang Shunli to help. The two “loving mothers” brought beautiful clothes to Mengqiao, helped her bathe and cut her hair, and played games with her. Under the regular guidance of volunteers, Mengqiao both trusted and relied on the “loving mothers” and became more lively and confident. Due to family difficulties, Mengqiao’s two sisters dropped out of school before finishing junior high school. The volunteers also helped Mengqiao contact the boarding school in the county to help her solve the living expenses, so that Mengqiao could receive a better education. “Every time I go to school, the teacher says Meng Qiao is obedient, and his grades are improving.” Liu Yun said.
The relevant person in charge of Lixin County told reporters that in order to normalize the care and protection of left-behind children in rural areas and the rescue of children in difficulties, they relied on the County Child Welfare Center to establish the Lixin County Child Welfare Guidance Center, and relied on the township civil affairs office to set up a township child welfare workstation. In each village (community), child directors have been identified to achieve full coverage of the child care and protection service system. The County Children’s Welfare Institute conducts door-to-door visits to scattered orphans and key children in difficulties in 23 towns and villages throughout the county each year, and the village children’s director is responsible for the visits to left-behind children in rural areas.
Now in Lixin County, every village has a children’s home and a village child director has been established. “We require the village children’s director to carry out activities at the children’s home no less than once a week, focusing on the promotion of child welfare policies.” said Yan Lin, director of the Lixin County Civil Affairs Bureau. The village (residential) children director treats ordinary children every year. Visit once, and visit other types of children once a month to fully grasp the living and learning status of left-behind children.
Every day at 5 o’clock in the afternoon, the children’s home in the harmonious community of Chengguan Town, Lixin County becomes lively. Li Xiaoyan, the person in charge of community volunteer service and children’s director, and other staff members are busy greeting the children who come here to read. “These children have nowhere else to go after school. The children’s home can read books, do games, and do homework. We will also organize some science lectures on a regular basis. For example, when summer is here, we should teach the children about drowning prevention.” Li Xiaoyan Said that in everyday getting along, the children and the volunteers have established a deep relationship. “Some children are more introverted, but after getting acquainted, they are willing to talk to you, such as thinking about their parents, and what to do when they grow up, and treat us as a’home’ with a sense of belonging.”
Form a joint force
Integrate rescue resources and guide social forces to care for left-behind children together
Every three to five, Shang Chengming would receive a call from Wang Xin to tell him the changes in his son. “Shuaaishuai went home on holiday, and he became like to talk and laugh!” “This time his academic performance has improved, and Shuaishuai was praised by the teacher!” The good news on the other side of the phone made Shang Chengming happy for a while.
As the founder of Hongfu Social Work Service Center, Shang Chengming still remembers the scene when he first met Shuai Shuai. The 12-year-old child is much thinner than his peers, taciturn and not talkative, and has been silently washing the pot and dishes. “The immature shoulders make people look distressed.” The elderly grandfather was sick and bedridden for a long time, handsome and 1 year older. My sister became the “backbone” of the family’s work. The two siblings have a clear division of labor. The elder sister cooks, and the handsome guy washes the pot. In addition, the siblings have to share the responsibility of taking care of their families.
“Both brothers and sisters are very introverted, lack family care, and no one supervises and tutors homework, which leads to unsatisfactory academic performance.” After the home visit, Shang Chengming, together with the village director of children, analyzed the situation of the two children. “Help them to improve their plight first.” With the help of Shang Chengming and the community, Shuai Shuai and his sister handled subsidies for children in need, and enjoyed relevant support policies. At the same time, professional social workers and volunteers came regularly to help Shuai Shuai twice. Consult and encourage him to let go of his thoughts.
“You have to exercise more and listen to more music. This will make you more active and sunny.” Volunteers should enlighten handsome, communicate with classmates more and take the initiative to participate in some extracurricular activities. Every quarter, Shang Chengming and other volunteers will visit Shuai Shuai’s home and send condolences and school bags and other school supplies.
Last year, social workers and volunteers worked together to raise funds to renovate the toilets, water, and build walls and gates of the Shuai Shuai’s home, giving their home a new look. Seeing the changes in the family, the siblings were very happy, and they were more motivated to learn. “There are many social workers and volunteers caring about me and my family, and my life has become more colorful, and I also understand my responsibilities.” Shuai Shuai is full of confidence. Now, both siblings are in high school in the county, and their grades have been improving.
Shang Chengming told reporters that professional social organizations have rich experience and strong professional service capabilities. For left-behind children in need, they will provide professional psychological counseling based on their personality and living habits. While providing professional support, it can also seek policy support for them, link social resources, and form a joint force.
Dynamic investigation
Establish a regular scheduling system to realize a ruled director and someone in charge
“The little grandson has changed a lot now. He is more sensible than before. When he sees the villagers, he will take the initiative to say hello. This is thanks to the education of the village children’s director and community workers!” Qianshangzhuang Village, Zhongwang Community, Wangshi Town, Lixin County The villagers sighed with emotion, and they will also work hard to change their children’s education methods in the future.
Cheng Jun, 12 years old this year, has his parents working outside for a long time and can only go home during the Chinese New Year. Grandma was paralyzed in bed, and Grandpa Shang Qibiao opened a small shop at the entrance of the village. Due to long-term separation from his parents and the doting of his grandparents, Cheng Jun is particularly naughty. Grandpa Shang is very helpless, but there is no good way. “My children don’t like to listen, and they don’t want to beat or scold me, but I feel sad.”
Not long ago, Shang Bingbing, the village children’s director, learned of Cheng Jun’s situation during a routine visit. “Children have serious problems caused by intergenerational education because their parents are not around. Children are mischievous and even often fight with children of the same age in the village.” To this end, he educates his children on the one hand, and asks the township leaders on the other. Report and enter the information system.
Every weekend, Shang Bingbing will take Cheng Jun to the activities of the Children’s Home, patiently reasoning and setting rules to the children. “You need to be polite when you see an acquaintance. It’s wrong to swear!” Looking at the uncles and aunts who are about the same age as his parents, the little guy opened his eyes and thoughtfully. After psychological counseling, Cheng Jun played games with his friends and was able to quietly read and write. “Can I still participate in your activities? I like to be with my uncles and aunts.” Whenever I part, the little guy always looks forward to the next time.
According to reports, on the basis of establishing and perfecting the mechanism of care and protection for left-behind children in rural areas and the rescue of children in difficulties, Lixin County has also established a dynamic detection system. In each township, it is unified and clearly defined by the township party committee secretary, the township chief, the person in charge of civil affairs and the civil affairs. The director of the office is responsible for the care and protection of local left-behind children in distress. The team is led by the village cadres and the village cadres participates in the whole process. The local left-behind children and children in distress are checked every quarter. After each investigation, the information will be summarized to the township civil affairs office, and files will be established one by one in each village to clarify the rescue measures and rescue contacts.
“The results of the comprehensive investigation by the township civil affairs office have carried out targeted relief work to ensure that the child relief work is managed and carried out with measures.” Yan Lin said that at present, Lixin County has established and continuously improved the basic situation database of left-behind children in rural areas. Vertical to bottom, information sharing working system. Lixin County also included the funds for the care and protection of rural left-behind children and the relief of children in difficulties in the county’s fiscal budget. The establishment of a series of systems and mechanisms has enabled the work of care for left-behind children to be governed by rules, people in charge, money to do things, and places to do things.
(All children in the text are pseudonyms)
Our reporter Han Junjie
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