"Safe haven" for abandoned children

PKG

INTRO

China is expanding a pilot program that provides "safe havens" for abandoned children.

The move is in response to media reports of several cases in which infants died after being abandoned in unsafe public places.

PKG

Shijiazhuang, capital city of north China's Hebei Province, was the first in China to launch such a program.

On Children's Day in 2011, which fell on June 1st, the Shijiazhuang Welfare Center set up 2.5-square-meter stall outside its gate.

Dubbed the "Abandoned Infant Safety Island", the safe haven has received 170 abandoned babies so far.

To maintain an appropriate environment for new-borns, a 55,000 yuan, or more than 9,000 U.S. dollars infant incubator and exhaust fan have been installed.

The staff check in every two hours, but most of the babies arrived late at night or early in the morning.

In April this year, Zhan Chengfu, a senior official with the Ministry of Civil Affairs, called for expanding the pilot safe haven program to other major cities.

In response, Nanjing, capital city of east China's Jiangsu Province, set up its first safe haven on Nov. 27th.

The 10-square-meter portable room is located at the east of the Nanjing Children's Welfare Institution's door.

It is expected to put into use later this month.

SOUNDBITE (CHINESE) ZHU HONG, Director, Nanjing Children's Welfare Institution:

"In order to make babies comfortable, the room will be equipped with an air conditioner to keep favorable temperatures and humidity. There will also be a hygrothermograph, an infant incubator, and a crib with beddings. The wall will be decorated with beautiful paintings."

According to Zhu, in order to protect the visitors' privacy, no surveillance camera will be installed around the safe haven.

Visitors can press the button of a delayed alarm before they leave.

After five to 10 minutes, the alarm will inform nearby security guards to come in and carry the infants to the welfare center.

This safe haven will not be the only one in the province.

Another booth will be established in Xuzhou city next year.

In south China's Guangdong Province, Shenzhen City recently announced that it will open the province's first safe haven for abandoned children early next year.

And...the provincial capital Guangzhou will follow suit by the end of January.

The facility in Shenzhen will cost at least 150,000 yuan, or about 24,600 dollars.

SOUNDBITE (CHINESE) TANG RONGSHENG, Director, Shenzhen Welfare Center:

"If we build up a new booth, it will cost a lot. In order to save money, we will rebuild the security booth next to our center."

The 10-square-meter steel frame construction will also create a comfortable environment for abandoned babies.

SOUNDBITE (CHINESE) TANG RONGSHENG, Director, Shenzhen Welfare Center:

"The safe haven will be made of special material, including an infant incubator, a crib with beddings, an air conditioner and an air freshener to create adequate ventilation inside the room."

Different from Nanjing, Shenzhen's safe haven will install two alarm system.

SOUNDBITE (CHINESE) TANG RONGSHENG, Director, Shenzhen Welfare Center:

"There will be a delayed alarm. Visitors could press the button after put the baby inside. About three to five minutes later, our staff will be informed and move the baby into the welfare home as soon as possible. There will also be an infrared intruder detector. If visitors forget to press the alarm because of nervous strain, the detector will make an alarm five minutes after it detects any intruder."

According to Tang, if the first safe haven proves to be successful, local financial and civil affairs authorities may consider having more such havens near banks and children's hospitals.

SOUNDBITE (CHINESE) TANG RONGSHENG, Director, Shenzhen Welfare Center:

"Once the construction is completed, and if the pilot program proves to be successful, more safe havens will be established in other places in Shenzhen."

However, the safe haven program has been met with skepticism, as it is believed it may encourage parents to abandon their babies.

Ma Yan, head of the social welfare department under the Nanjing Civil Affairs Bureau, says the bureau had this concern before launching the program.

Ma says the booth will be tested for one year to see whether its establishment will increase the number of abandoned babies.

SOUNDBITE (CHINESE) ZHU HONG, Director, Nanjing Children's Welfare Institution:

"The original intention to establish the safe haven is to save the abandoned babies. They are innocent and have the right of life. Their parents may have some difficulties to raise them."

SOUNDBITE (CHINESE) TANG RONGSHENG, Director, Shenzhen Welfare Center:

"As a social welfare worker, my heart breaks whenever I hear that there is a baby being abandoned. It's the baby who gets hurt. Some of the abandoned babies end up in being wounded or even deaths. Babies are innocent and we should put their right of life and health at top priority."

Tang insists that they can't stop people from abandoning babies, but they can increase their chances of survival.

According to Zhu Hong, the Nanjing Children's Welfare Institution has received about 160 abandoned babies so far this year, with more than 98 percent of them having severe physical or mental disabilities.

Many of them wouldn't have any chance to survive, if they were not found by local residents by chance.

SOUNDBITE (CHINESE) ZHU HONG, Director, Nanjing Children's Welfare Institution:

"Many abandoned babies have disease, deformity or disability. They are usually being abandoned in remote places."

Yu Fangqiang, coordinator of a Nanjing-based NGO promoting welfare, says the safe haven is choosing the lesser of two evils, as it is better than having babies left in the streets, without any care.

However, he warns that the new facilities are not enough to resolve the issue.

He suggests the whole society shall work together to educate new parents that abandoning babies is illegal and immoral. And NGOs and local governments should help them send unintended babies to social welfare institutes.

In May, the Ministry of Civil Affairs, along with six other departments, issued a notice on tightened management of baby abandonment.

SOUNDBITE (CHINESE) ZHU HONG, Director, Nanjing Children's Welfare Institution:

"Please do not abandon kids. Even if they could be sent to a welfare center, it won't be as good as a family. It is bad for their growth, especially psychologically."