De Facto Orphans

According to statistics from the Ministry of Civil Affairs, China has 500,000 “de facto orphans,” or children whose parents cannot fulfil their duties as guardians due to disability, disappearance, drug abuse or prison sentences. According to research from Northwest University conducted in 2015, 70 percent of de facto orphans said they lived in fear and only 35 percent chose to share their worries with family members. A report released by the Ministry of Justice showed that 70 percent of children with parents in prison are likely to commit crimes and 82 percent of them will quit school once their parents are behind bars. On July 10, 12 departments including the Ministry of Civil Affairs issued a package of support measures including a basic living allowance, healthcare and education to care for de facto orphans. The government will also purchase services and mobilize social organizations to provide further support.