Why we worked in China

In the 1990s, China relied heavily on residential institutions to care for orphans and abandoned children. When Care for Children began working in the country in 1998, many institutions were caring for large numbers of children, particularly girls, reflecting the social and demographic circumstances of the time.

At that stage, there was no established family-based alternative care system for children who could not live with their birth families. The opportunity to develop family care represented an important step towards ensuring that more children could experience the stability, belonging and individual support that family life provides.

Our Partnership

Care for Children's relationship with China began in 1996, when the Chinese government invited Dr Robert Glover to serve as an advisor on childcare. Drawing on his experience in social care in the UK, Dr Glover introduced the concept of family-based care as an alternative for children who were unable to remain with their birth families.

From 1998 onwards, Care for Children worked in partnership with the China Social Work Association under the Ministry of Civil Affairs to support the development and expansion of family care across the country. While the government led implementation, Care for Children provided consultation, training and technical expertise to help build sustainable systems and strengthen professional practice.

Our Impact

Over more than a decade of partnership, Care for Children supported China's transition from a predominantly institutional model of care towards one that increasingly recognised the importance of family-based care.

Our role focused on building government capacity through training, consultation and technical support, equipping professionals to develop, manage and sustain family care programmes. We also provided seed funding through a government-matched family allowance scheme, helping to establish models of best practice that could be replicated and scaled nationally.

Working alongside government partners, Care for Children helped develop and deliver a national family care training programme, contributing to the growth of a stronger and more sustainable family care system.

A significant milestone was reached in 2014 when the Chinese government introduced the National Regulations for Family Care. These regulations required institutions to offer family care to children who were suitable for family placement, embedding family-based care within the country's child welfare system and demonstrating a lasting commitment to ensuring more children could grow up in families.

What we achieved in China