China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs has issued a circular to urge governments at all levels across the country to take good care of the migrant children while their parents will stay in the cities where they are working during the upcoming Spring Festival for the prevention and control of COVID-19.
The circular has urged governments at all levels in the country to ensure that the migrant children are well attended while their parents will stay put for the spring festival.
The township and village governments should organize door-to-door visit before the spring festival to ensure that the migrant children are left to the care of at least one custodian.
The custodian should meet the requirements for physical and other conditions.
For those who are unable to perform their care duties due to age, health, etc., the government must promptly urge the parents to replace the entrusted caregivers.
In case it is difficult to change the guardian due to practical difficulties, the civil affairs department shall coordinate the implementation of temporary care immediately.
The civil affairs department shall take charge of temporary care duties during the prevention and control of COVID-19 pandemic, if parents and other guardians or entrusted caregivers cannot fully perform their guardianship and support responsibilities due to confirmation of infection, centralized isolation and observation, or due to the needs of epidemic prevention and anti-epidemic work and other epidemic impacts.
If children and their families have real difficulties in obtaining epidemic prevention and control provisions, the civil affairs department must provide relevant support in a timely manner.
Seven central government departments have encouraged migrant workers to stay in the cities where they are working during Spring Festival and will launch an operation to guarantee workers' welfare and enterprises' production.
A circular jointly issued by the seven departments, including the ministries of human resources and social security, industry and information technology, and civil affairs, introduced the move on January 18.
