The Opinions on Strengthening the Care and Protection of Left-behind Children in Rural Areas (hereinafter referred to as the Opinions) puts forward that strengthening the care and protection of left-behind children in rural areas and safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of minors are the important responsibilities of governments at all levels, as well as the responsibilities of families and the whole society.
Taking promoting the healthy growth of minors as the starting point and the end result, we will constantly improve laws, regulations and institutional mechanisms, strengthen the responsibility of family guardians, increase the intensity of care and protection, gradually reduce the phenomenon of left-behind children, and ensure that the rights and interests of left-behind children in rural areas are effectively protected. The "Opinions" propose to establish and improve the care service system for left-behind children in rural areas.
It is to strengthen the main responsibility of family guardianship according to law, put forward specific requirements for the parents of floating population to perform their guardianship duties, and clearly strengthen the supervision and guidance of family guardianship, requiring that children under the age of 16 should not live alone without guardianship.
It is to implement the responsibilities of county and township people's governments and village (neighborhood) committees, clarify the responsibilities of county-level people's governments for overall coordination, supervision and inspection, and require township people's governments (street offices) and village (neighborhood) committees to keep abreast of the basic situation of left-behind children in rural areas, strengthen supervision and guidance on family custody, and ensure that left-behind children in rural areas are properly taken care of.
It is necessary to strengthen the care and protection of education departments and schools, and clarify the responsibilities and tasks of education departments and primary and secondary schools in learning and education, mental health, life care and safety management of left-behind children in rural areas.
It requires mass organizations such as trade unions at all levels, the Communist Youth League, women's federations, disabled persons' federations and working committees to give full play to their advantages and actively provide care services for rural left-behind children and their families.
It is to support social forces such as social work service agencies, charitable social organizations and voluntary service organizations to provide professional services for left-behind children in rural areas through the way of government purchasing services; Support social organizations and caring enterprises to set up custody service institutions for left-behind children in rural areas.
In accordance with relevant laws and regulations, the Opinions established and improved the rescue and protection mechanism, including mandatory reporting, emergency response, evaluation and rescue, and guardianship intervention, defined the situation of mandatory reporting, determined the subjects of mandatory reporting and acceptance, refined emergency response measures, clarified the subjects of evaluation and rescue, and strengthened guardianship intervention measures.
According to the idea of treating both the symptoms and the root causes, the Opinions put forward the long-term goal of gradually reducing the phenomenon of left-behind children from the source and strengthened the safeguard measures for the care and protection of left-behind children in rural areas. All provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) are required to formulate specific implementation plans in light of local conditions and establish and improve the leading mechanism for the care and protection of left-behind children in rural areas. The State Council will supervise the implementation of the Opinions in due course.