Unlicensed Chinese Orphanage Disaster-Child Deaths

Six young children and one 20-year-old died in a fire in  Lankao, Henan Province, on January 4, 2013 in Yuan Lihai’s two-story home while she was taking some of the older children to school. One child was injured.

Yuan Lihai had taken in over 100 homeless and disabled children over the past 20 years.

“[I]n recent years, her health had been deteriorating and she realized she had her limits. Consequently, when government officials asked her to transfer her children to a charity home, she gave up ten of the younger ones. Nevertheless, she refused to let go of the older ones for the time being. But then tragedy fell upon her home.”

“Yuan started having breathing difficulties and heart irregularities late Saturday night and was rushed to hospital. When she woke up, she remembered there was yet another child…

Her relatives have stated that one month ago, Yuan adopted a newborn baby and asked an elderly woman to look after it, with Yuan herself visiting from time to time. After the fire, she had no time to further deal with the adotpion and felt like she no longer had the ability to raise the child. Subsequently, Yuan intended to place the baby in a charity home.

Yuan was in low spirits on Monday morning when she took the baby to a local hospital in her area and asked to see her other adopted children. She broke down in tears as she found out all the children had been taken away, and said it felt as if “you’ve taken away my heart.” Yuan’s elder son then decided to drive her and the baby to the Kaifeng home, but he had to turn around halfway. Given Yuan’s current physical and mental condition, she may very well have fainted when actually faced with the children. Around 3 p.m. that same afternoon, an unknown middle-aged woman took the baby to Kaifeng instead.

Yuan said that in the past few years, whenever children would be delivered to her doorstep, she simply had to take them in; otherwise she would not be able to live with herself.”

“Yuan’s charity actions have sparked a national debate on whether or not her actions should be considered good deeds or illegal ones. Online rumors also read that Yuan might be cheating the government out of subsistence allowance by raising orphans in her own house. What’s even worse, she may have been unlawfully profiting from under-the-table adoption deals.

Yuan has so far categorically denied all speculations.”

Yuan Lihai: I will never adopt again

[China.org 1/8/13 by Zhang Rui]

“Local authorities in Lankao, who were aware of Yuan’s situation and after the fire initially accused her of illegally adopting children, later admitted they were guilty of lax supervision and management.
“I’d gladly be arrested and take a bullet if I was selling children,” Yuan was quoted by Xinhua as saying. She explained that she did give away several kids to others when she was unable to take in so many, but she did not ask them for money.

“My mother adopted so many children out of goodwill and then ended up being questioned by the public. I would rather she had never done so,” Du Peng, a 26-year-old son of Yuan’s, told the Global Times Sunday.

Currently there is no evidence showing Yuan has sold adopted children, Li Meijiao, deputy director of the civil affairs bureau in Lankao, told the Global Times.

The Ministry announcement ordered authorities nationwide to inspect individuals, organizations and foster centers that adopt children. It also ordered them to crack down on illegal, profit-oriented adoptions, and make sure children are safe and well looked-after. The government will sign contracts with those willing and able to take in orphans, and those who are unable to will have to send children to government-owned facilities, the announcement said.

The local civil affairs bureau promised they would enhance the supervision of child adoptions. “We will publicize the adoption law to enhance people’s awareness of legal adoptions, and keep track of abandoned orphans to ensure their safety,” Li Meijiao said.

“It is time to amend the adoption law given the fact that there are a lot more organizations and individuals like Yuan who have been sharing in the government’s responsibility to offer social aid and welfare coverage to disadvantaged groups,” Li Ying, a Beijing-based lawyer specializing in child welfare cases, told the Global Times. ”

Foster mother denies child-selling accusations

[Global TImes 1/7/13 by Liang Chen and Yan Shuang]

“By adopting an orphan child, the foster guardian is eligible for a monthly allowance of 70 yuan (US$11.25), as stipulated by local policy, according to people living in the same neighborhood.

A male neigbhor [sic] living across the street defended Yuan. He said 70 yuan would never be sufficient to cover a child’s monthly expenses. “I wouldn’t get myself into so much trouble [taking in homeless children] even if the allowance were several hundred yuan,” he said.

Yuan’s friend Ms. Wang Hua said the foster mother kept taking in children “because of the emotional bond,” noting that she has known Yuan and her husband for years and was sure of Yuan’s good personality. “I would find the undertaking too difficult if I was put in her position,” she said.

Yuan’s love for the abandoned children even affected her own son Du Ming. While he was too young to remember, Yuan left him in the care of her parents-in-law in rural Hebei Province, so that she could take better care of her orphanage. Du Ming said he did not return to his mother until he was 12 years’ old, but showed understanding of his mother’s persistence.

The orphans, many of whom have disabilities, all repeatedly said they loved their foster mother, and that they wish to grow up and “make big money,” so that they could “build a big house for mother and their other siblings all under the same roof.”

Twenty-year-old chubby boy Yuan Song has been living in Yuan’s home since he was very young. His parents ditched him because he had cerebral palsy. He recalled one moment when he wanted to give his foster mother a cut of his first pay-check, but she declined the offer.

“Mother didn’t take one penny and simply asked me not to ditch her when she grows old,” said Yuan Song as he was holding back the tears.”

Yuan Lihai helps children survive

[China.org 1/6/13 by Chen Boyuan]

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