Women's federations and the offices of working committees on children and women nationwide are urged to help and protect children whose parents or other guardians are not around amid the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in a notice released by the General Office of the All-China Women's Federation (ACWF) and the General Office of the National Working Committee on Children and Women under State Council on March 15.

The notice was to implement the guideline issued by the joint prevention and control mechanism of the State Council on March 14, which was to strengthen the assistance and protection of children whose parents or other guardians are unable to perform guardianship duties due to infection or suspected infection, medical quarantine or busy epidemic control work. 

According to the notice, the women's federations should give full play to their advantages at grassroots level, and the offices of working committees on children and women should fully play the role of coordination, promotion and supervision in taking differentiated measures to care for disadvantaged children in virus-hit regions in an effective manner.

The federations and offices nationwide should contact the civil affairs authorities and guide the grassroots women's federations to motivate members of the federations' executive committees and women volunteers to thoroughly screen children's guardians and report the information of children whose guardians are not around in a bid to give timely help to these children in need. 

Staff members of grassroots women's federations should pair with children whose guardians are not around amid the epidemic outbreak, learn about their needs, and offer targeted assistance to the children in need.

Efforts should be stepped up to cooperate with the civil affairs authorities and to organize members of the executive committees of grassroots women's federations and women volunteers to look after the children in need one-on-one. The caring services include schoolwork tutoring, psychological counseling and emotional support.

Efforts should also be made to increase the role of the "12388" hotline, a special hotline for the protection of women's rights and interests. The information of children whose guardians are not around that are acquired through the hotline should be reported in a timely manner.  

Professional social organizations and volunteers are encouraged to accompany and play games with preschool children in need, offer schoolwork tutoring and online courses to school-age children whose guardians are not around amid the epidemic outbreak. 

The children's affairs' think tank should also play its role in providing psychological consultation service amid the epidemic outbreak. Psychological experts are encouraged to provide psychological counseling and mental care to children in need through the Internet, video and telephone calls, helping remove their fear and anxiety and build their confidence amid the epidemic.

The federations and offices were also urged to take more effective measures to coordinate forces and resources as they perform their duties in caring for the children in need.

(Women of China)