Without access to a public social welfare system in parts of China, some families face invidious decisions about the lives of their children with disabilities. In other places, children with disabilities can now expect to participate in their families and communities with the same aspirations as other children. Understanding how Chinese policy has changed in the places that have addressed these stark situations is vital for the rights of the children and their families who still struggle to find the support they need.

This book examines family experiences of child...

This study applies rights-based alternative-care theory and practice for orphans to China's child-welfare system, including its history and development in urban and rural areas. It analyses state child-welfare institutions; de-institutionalization; foster-mother villages; and current policy changes toward a mixed welfare approach.