142/161 communes, wards and towns meet child care standards

There are 124,441 children under 16 years old in Cao Bang province. The number of children living in poor and near-poor households is over 45,000. There are over 900 children in disadvantaged circumstances and over 47,000 children are at risk of falling into disadvantaged situations.

Recognizing the important role of child care, education and protection, the People's Committee of Cao Bang Provincial has developed and issued many programs, plans, and documents directing the implementation of the tasks and solutions to protect, care for and educate children in order to create a favorable environment and conditions for children to be cared for, study, play, to be ensured with basic rights and live in a safe, friendly and healthy environment.

Since 2018, the province has organized nearly 200 events to disseminate knowledge and law on child care, education and protection to over 10,000 people; over 100 conferences and training sessions for about 1,500 people who involve in the task of protecting, caring for and educating children at district and commune levels and collaborators in villages/residential groups, parents, teachers and children on the following contents: child protection, preventing and combating accidents and child injuries, preventing and combating child abuse; building communes, wards and towns suitable for children; HIV prevention and control for children, knowledge about population, reproductive health care - family planning, breastfeeding; knowledge about raising healthy children and raising good children; school health work, reproductive health education for adolescents;

Printing and distributing 20,000 leaflets, and brochures; building hundreds of panels, posters, banners, and propaganda materials on the content of the Children's Law, knowledge and skills to ensure safety for women and children, and skills to prevent and combat child abuse, kidnapping and legal policies related to child protection, care and education.

Health care and nutrition for children in Cao Bang Province has improved significantly over the years. The coverage and quality of medical services have been improved and are more suitable for children. Most poor children and children in disadvantaged circumstances have had access to medical examination, treatment, and health care services. Pregnant women and children under 5 years old have been guided on appropriate nutrition. Children from 5 to 12 years old are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. 100% of children under 6 years old are given free health insurance cards. The targets for health care and nutrition for children have all met and exceeded Cao Bang Province's goals.

Cao Bang currently has 526 public education and training establishments and one non-public preschool; 48 ethnic boarding schools, including 7 primary schools, 15 secondary schools, and 26 high schools in remote and isolated areas, contributing to meeting the learning needs of children in mountainous and ethnic minority areas.

The province has ensured universal preschool education for 5-year-old children in 100% of communes, wards, towns and 100% of districts and cities. All 10 districts and cities meet the standard of universal primary education at level 3. The whole province maintains the standard of universal secondary education at level 1. Play areas for children are built by funding from the state budget, while businesses are encouraged to build and operate private children's entertainment facilities. Some localities have built and maintained well the models of "Cultural Family" Club, "Child-Friendly Community", and commune and ward art troupes.

Training establishments, especially boarding and semi-boarding schools, regularly organize cultural and artistic activities in schools; encouraging students to participate in cultural, artistic and mass cultural activities; improving the effectiveness of competitions and festivals for students, contributing to educating revolutionary traditions, promoting national cultural identity and orienting music tastes to help students access to the values of truth - goodness - beauty.

Ensuring children's rights during natural disasters and epidemics, especially under the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, has been regularly implemented by state agencies at all levels, and local education and training establishments. Through policies, programs, projects funded by organizations and benefactors, the province has presented warm clothes for 600 poor children in remote areas; Over 2,500 children who are students at boarding schools for ethnic minorities benefited from the program "Vietnam Milk Fund"; 100 children received bicycles from the Bicycle for Dreams program; over 2,000 children in disadvantaged circumstances were funded with a total amount of over 3 billion VND from the Children's Protection Fund; local officials visited and presented gifts to nearly 1,000 groups of kids and more than 4,000 children during the Children's Day (June 1) and the Mid-Autumn Festival; mobilizing financial support for over 22,000 children and child-related activities, with over 10,000 support packages, totaling over 8 billion VND; coordinated with the Hanoi-based Viet Duc Hospital, Hospital E Cardiovascular Center to provide free medical screen for congenital heart defects for 994 children.

Forms of care for children with disadvantaged circumstances have basically met the needs of each target group. 100% of children in disadvantaged circumstances, especially orphans, abandoned children, children infected with HIV/AIDS, and sexually abused children, have received special care and attention of governments at all levels, organizations, families and society through social subsidy policies.

Thanks to the synchronous implementation of solutions, the participation of the entire political system, the work of protecting children's education, implementing children's rights and tasks related to children in Cao Bang Province achieved positive results.

So far, 142/161 communes, wards, and towns have met the standards of communes, wards, and towns suitable for children, reaching 88.2% and 100% of newborns were registered on time. There are no children working in heavy, toxic conditions, being abused or being victims of violence, trafficking, kidnapping, no children violating the law; over 98% of children in disadvantaged circumstances are cared for; 99.1% of children under 6 years old are granted free medical examination and treatment cards; 98% of children born are vaccinated against disease; 100% of children in disadvantaged circumstances and at risk of falling into disadvantaged circumstances are cared for and fully enjoy the State's policies. Recreational, cultural, and sports activities are promoted and diversified in many forms, creating conditions for children to exchange, train, and develop their talents, strengths, and have the opportunity to express their wishes.

Better implementing child care, education and protection

To better implement the care, education and protection of children, the People's Committee of Cao Bang has asked Party Committees and authorities at all levels to continue to pay attention to directing the implementation of policies on children's rights, protecting and caring for children; solutions to prevent and reduce child labor; preventing and combating accidents and injuries to children; promoting children's right to raise their opinions on children's issues; supporting children with disabilities to access protection, care, and education services in the community; strengthening solutions to prevent and combat child violence and abuse; ensuring the implementation of children's rights, protecting and supporting children in natural disasters and epidemics.

Children's education will be implemented in many appropriate forms, so that children clearly understand their rights and duties, thereby promoting their roles and responsibilities towards their families, school and society; effectively using financial resources from national programs to build cultural and sports institutions and facilities to serve entertainment activities for children in remote areas.

Cao Bang Province also encourages and creates conditions for local organizations and businesses to invest in building multi-functional entertainment and recreation facilities for children; promoting advocacy work and effectively use all resources to promptly support children in disadvantaged circumstances and children affected by natural disasters and epidemics.

Hoa An - Nguyen Thi Thu Hang - Nguyen Thi Ha Son