Developed by the China Philanthropy Research Institute of Beijing Normal University and sponsored by the Amway Charity Foundation, the “Chinese Children’s Policy Advancement Index” (中国儿童政策进步指数) was released for the first time in Beijing on the 31st of May, just as International Children’s Day was approaching. The Index shows that the 10 provinces to have made the largest progress in terms of children’s policies in 2014 are Zhejiang, Beijing, Jiangsu, Hubei, Chongqing, Shanghai, Shandong, Guangdong, Heilongjiang and Tianjin. The implementation and innovation of children’s policies in all 31 provinces, except for Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, are evaluated systematically. The index aims to accelerate the development and protection of children’s rights.
Policies for children on a provincial level can count four main achievements: 25 provinces have released criteria to divide children with difficult lives into different levels, and provide stipends and protections accordingly; the Ministry of Civil Affairs has set up pilot programs for juvenile protection in 11 provinces; provinces such as Hubei and Guizhou have released educational policies for left-behind and migrant children; five provinces provide one-year free preschool education, and all 31 provinces have released plans for the three-years of preschool education.
Since the release of the Juvenile Protection Law in 2012, child protection has become an important part of the child welfare system in China. Medical care for children has been more precise and professional since 2015. Besides, non-government funded education, especially preschool education, will be encouraged to alleviate the pressure resulting from the two-child policy.
