China rolls out precision care plan for migrant and left-behind children

BEIJING -- China has launched a nationwide campaign to establish records for migrant and left-behind children, aiming to enhance the precision of welfare services, said authorities on Saturday.

Local authorities have been asked to refine existing data pools, break down inter-departmental data silos, and conduct thorough verifications at the grassroots level.

This comprehensive data overhaul is set to be completed by the end of September, according to a notice issued by authorities led by the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

Special attention is required for the most vulnerable -- specifically, migrant children facing hardships in daily life, schooling or medical care, and left-behind children without proper guardianship.

They will be tracked through a dynamic "one child, one file" system to ensure no one falls through the cracks, according to the notice.

To keep these records alive and effective, villages and communities are asked to conduct monthly home visits, with data updated quarterly by township or district authorities and reviewed by county-level departments.

Precision care for migrant children focuses on their equitable access to public services to ensure they aren't left behind in education, healthcare and urban integration, according to the notice.

For left-behind children, the priority shifts to addressing guardianship gaps, physical safety and mental health through a coordinated multi-agency approach.