As I researched China via the Childhood Poverty Research and Policy Centre I was shocked to learn most poor urban residents with local household registration who have been laid off and cannot find work are primarily dependent on government aid for their main source of income. To reduce poverty in China, the following changes should be made:
Increasing parents’ ability to guarantee a better current standard of living through enhanced retraining opportunities, and business development support and increasing the minimum wage.
Providing good quality education for all children. This requires removing cost barriers to education, and would eliminate the need for extra tuition.
Ensuring that the health insurance system involves all elements of the social security system, to meet the health-related needs of all poverty-affected children.
Improving migrant families’ access to government and community assistance by granting them equal access to urban services as long-term urban residents; making it easier to apply for urban registration would contribute to this.
These recommendations will not only decrease childhood poverty but also improve a child’s health and everyday life.
References
Childhood Poverty Research and Policy Centre.China(2013). Retrieved from http://www.childhoodpoverty.org/index.php?action=chipactivities-nat#16
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