An estimated 61 million children are "left behind" by their migrant parents in China. The Chinese government has recently issued new guidelines to protect children in rural areas whose parents have moved to cities to work. The Chinese government also announced it would offer residency status to some of the migrant workers who have moved from rural areas in recent decades, meaning migrants (and their children) will be entitled to use public services, such as health and education, where they live, rather than in the villages they come from.
Rural governments are being asked to monitor the welfare of children who live alone, and parents are being encouraged to take their children with them when possible. Many children are left with extended family members but circumstances force some to live alone. These left behind children are often particularly vulnerable, including to sexual abuse.