Registering left-behind children is the first step for government to help them. Their parents have made big contributions to the country's development, and the country must take good care of their children, says an article from Beijing News Daily. Excerpts:

Left-behind children will enjoy priority treatment in nutrition, transportation and infrastructure construction, according to a new guideline jointly issued by different authorities recently. Chinese government will register all left-behind children under 16 years old and include them into China's public service system.

China has about 58 million left-behind children in villages, accounting for 28.3 percent of the child population in rural China. Their parents leave them to their grandparents and go to work in cities far from home as migrant workers.

The living conditions of the left-behind children are really worrisome for the whole nation. They lack nutrition and care from parents. Many of these children develop serious psychological problems. The left-behind children are victims of many accidents.

The guideline is an important step forward for China to protect the legal rights of left-behind children. Registration is necessary for authorities to know the overall situation of left-behind children nationwide. The registration will provide an important reference for authorities to provide assistance to the children. Education, nutrition and transportation are the three areas where left-behind children need most care.

The guideline, which highlights the three areas, indicates authorities know the children's needs very well. Afterwards, the central government should ensure local officials do not abuse the funds and resources assigned by the central authorities for the left-behind children.

China has 250 million migrant workers. Caring for their children is a meaningful action taken by the government to bring to happiness to the common people.