Partner Organization: Anna Chenault Foundation

Project Duration: Aug 2016 - Oct 2017

Project Status: Completed

The Anna Chenault Foundation and the China Philanthropy Navigator worked together for this research project to tackle one of the most talked about social issue in China in recent years – the “left-behind-children”. Using the research outcomes, the project hoped to ignite widespread efforts and resources into the issue to bring about positive action and changes.

The “left-behind-children” in rural China is a social issue that emerged only in the last decade. Over the years, it has attracted an increasing amount of attention not only from scholar research and studies but also from non-profit organizations coming to the aid of the children. The severity of the problem reached its peak in the last two years due to the death of five children who died in rubbish bins in Bijie City, Guizhou, and four siblings who committed suicide. In response, the government rolled out a series of policies and set up a special agency in the Ministry of Civil Affairs. However, the efforts fell short due to the scale of the issue. The help from non-profit organizations were also limited because of incomplete knowledge of the issue and limited resources. To address these challenges, this project conducted an in-depth investigation on the real needs of the “left-behind-children”, identified the effective solutions and compiled the relevant policies and information into a report and three-part handbook as a “first-step” guide for organizations intending to tackle the issue. The Beijing Yifang Foundation provided the necessary funding for the project.