China steps up welfare support as subsidies, child services improve

Civil affairs authorities have stepped up efforts to improve social welfare services, including support for children, low-income groups and people with disabilities, a Ministry of Civil Affairs official said Wednesday.

Wu Zengfeng, a spokesperson for the ministry, said at a news conference that in the first quarter, revised and newly issued regulations were introduced to improve the management of child welfare institutions and protection agencies for minors.

The policies aim to enhance care services for left-behind children in rural areas and children in difficult circumstances, while strengthening support for orphans and those without effective guardianship.

By the end of March, the basic monthly living allowance reached 2,093.4 yuan ($306) for centrally cared orphans, 1,627.2 yuan for those living with families, and 1,614.6 yuan for children without proper guardianship.

Authorities have also advanced efforts to assess the mental health of vulnerable children and improve the professionalism of grassroots workers, such as community child welfare officers.

In social assistance, the ministry is promoting legislation and improving a tiered and classified support system, Wu said. Measures include strengthening temporary assistance, enhancing dynamic monitoring of beneficiaries, and streamlining services.

In the first quarter, the central government allocated 156.68 billion yuan in subsidies for people in need. A winter relief campaign was also carried out to support vulnerable groups.

By the end of March, the average monthly minimum living allowance stood at 835 yuan in urban areas and 623 yuan in rural areas.

Efforts have also been made to improve services for people with disabilities. As of March, subsidy programs had benefited nearly 12 million people with financial difficulties and more than 16.8 million people with severe disabilities. More than 293,000 applications were processed online, and 3,941 cross-provincial applications were handled.

Looking ahead, Wu said the ministry will continue to ensure that eligible individuals are included in social assistance programs and further improve data sharing and coordination among departments.

In child welfare, efforts will focus on enhancing mental health services for children in need, improving support for migrant children, and promoting the opening of child welfare institutions to provide broader services. Authorities will also strengthen the training and professional development of grassroots child welfare workers to ensure more targeted and effective services, Wu said.