I was very glad to hear that China Center of Adoption Affairs (CCAA) will hold a trial training course on the operation of online entrustment system for orphaned and handicapped children in the ancient city Luoyang. On behalf of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, I would like to extend my sincere congratulations on the successful holding of the training course, and express my heartfelt respect for those loving people who have devoted themselves to China’s social welfare and inter-country adoption!

The Seventeenth National Congress of the Communist Party of China pointed out that it is imperative to advance social construction focusing on the improvement of people’s livelihood. The issue of people’s livelihood is of concern to both the people and the state. Orphans are the weakest group of people in the society. They lost the love from their parents and care from families, unable to protect themselves and ask for eligible rights. As a result, they have to depend on the government and the society to provide proper placement for them, which is the key point in solving people’s livelihood. Years of practice proves that families provide the best environment for children’s development and adoption is the best way to help children return to families and acculturate into the society. Adhering to the principle of “all for the children”, inter-country adoption helps orphaned and handicapped children return to families and regain the affection and warmth, so as to better protect their fundamental rights.

In the new era, with China’ social welfare course transforming from the model of deficiency-filling to proper generalized preference, the subjects of children’s welfare services are extending, so are the field and scope of inter-country adoption. Children who lost their parents and families due to disasters or accidents, especially those with no one to care for them or whose relatives lose the ability of custody, are in urgent need of placement by the Civil Affairs departments. In the future, we should find out ways to include all the children who are without parents or no guardians in adoption affairs, and help all those who are eligible for adoption return to families in time through our effort. The return to families not only meets the present need of the children, but is also beneficial to their healthy development and their best interest.

For years, many foreign agencies have worked together with us in inter-country adoption affairs out of care and love for Chinese orphans and handicapped children, helping them return to families, bringing in funds and new work conceptions, management experiences and expertise, and assisting welfare institutions to improve their quality and management levels. I would like to avail myself of this opportunity to give my sincere gratitude to all the families and agencies who support and care for China’s children’s welfare course!

CCAA conducts training courses every year according to plans to improve the expertise of staff in social welfare institutions, contribute to the construction of child nurturing programs and improve the facilities in welfare institutions. All these significant measures build a development framework of children’s welfare course and provide a wider horizon to strengthen international cooperation. This training course deals with the operation of online entrustment system for orphaned and handicapped children, which is a single concrete program, but concerns the information development of China’s children’s welfare course and the improvement of managing levels, and concerns the long-term interests of the large group of orphans and handicapped children. It is of great significance.

Finally, I wish the training course a great success!