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The 5,500 children, whose parents are dead or missing after the monstrous earthquake hit China, now have a ray of hope. Many couples in the country are now coming forward to adopt the orphaned children. The plight of the children has prompted many parents to offer care and support to these children, many of whom have even lost their own children.
The phone lines to the Sichuan Civil Affairs Department, which handles adoptions in the region, have been jammed since soon after the earthquake hit on May 12, with thousands of couples offering their services as prospective parents. There is also hope that the Chinese government will suspend its rigid rules on adoption for Sichuan orphans. A move in this direction has already been taken by the Population and Family Planning commission in Chengdu. The authorities have said that it will allow childless couples who adopt a quake orphan to have a child of their own in the future.
