In mid-March, 2022, Chunhui Children’s representative made a video speech on the foundation’s rural left-behind and at-risk child programs at the 49th UN-Human Rights Council.
The Chinese government puts rural rejuvenation and education of disadvantaged children on top of its agenda. In 2021, it issued the Suggestions on Consolidating Achievements of Rural Education and Driving Rural Revitalization, specifying the need to further promote education, poverty alleviation, and development of rural areas. The Suggestions requires that systems need be set up to aid children of poor rural families.
In response, Chunhui Children’s Foundation has run a village program for left-behind children and at-risk children in some impoverished regions of China.
The program partners with local governments to set up three-level (county-township-village) minors protection systems. In local rural communities and resettlement areas, program supervisors provide such services as policy popularization, policy consulting, rights advocacy, emotional support, developmentally appropriate experiences, academic mentoring, community engagement activities, interest-development classes, and risks prevention. The ultimate goal is to create a nurturing environment and promote the children’s physical, language, cognitive and social-emotional development.
Until now, the program has been run in 57 villages of Henan Province, serving a total of 22000 children and impacting 350,000. It also set up two county-level early learning and training centers in the province which have trained 600 local women into child care mentors.
On March 26, 2021, Chunhui Village Program---Pilot Services for the Minors—was launched in Jiangkou and Yanhe counties, Tongren City of Guizhou Province. It targets children living in communities, de facto unattended children and at-risk children. As of now, the pilot program has facilitated 70 group activities, 4 large events and 420 home visits in four resettlement areas. In Jiangkou’s and Yanhe’s county-level welfare institutions, individualized teaching and support plans have been developed for 40 program children; 30 groups activities and 4 large events have been delivered.
In Oct 2021, ten village program sites were set up in Yanhe County of Tongren City.
China Development and Research Foundation’s evaluation of the program shows that 84% of the caregivers have used what they learned from Chunhui Children’s training into their work with the children. The children have made strides in physical and social-emotional development; their problem-solving, learning, writing and expressing skills all improved.
Chunhui Village Program has three strengths. Responsive care & education replaced conventional child care practices. The program is rooted in rural communities and confronts tough child problems head on. Training is provided for grass-root child welfare officials, local resources are pooled, and local teachers are cultivated to help the government reach underprivileged children in the most “out-of-the-way” areas (the “last mile” problem).
By participating in the HRC regular sessions, Chunhui Children demonstrates the Chinese government’s unremitting commitment to child rights protection and Chinese social organizations’ recommendable philanthropy practices. As one of the social organizations engaged in child welfare, Chunhui Children will always strive to join in international efforts in pushing forward child development.