Vietnam’s Party chief orders immediate protection for all abandoned children

The directive was issued by the Party leader following a high-level working session on Monday with the Ministry of Health and multiple central agencies on the protection of children in especially vulnerable circumstances, according to a notice released by the Party Central Committee’s Office.

Children in special hardship situations, the official said, face severe disadvantages in living conditions, nutrition, education, and access to healthcare.

Protecting them is not only about healing present suffering but also safeguarding Vietnam's long-term development and social sustainability.

Reducing the number of newly abandoned children must be treated as the most fundamental and humane priority, the Party chief emphasized.

He called for expanded mental health counseling, legal assistance, reproductive health care, and socioeconomic support for high-risk groups such as women with unintended pregnancies, single mothers, fractured families, and internal migrant workers facing severe life pressures.

Local administrations were instructed to establish community-based social networks involving women’s unions, youth organizations, and grassroots political groups to closely monitor vulnerable households.

Commune- and ward-level authorities must take responsibility for identifying families in distress and providing timely support.

He stressed that every abandoned child must be received and protected without delay, with the location of discovery, such as a hospital, residential area, police unit, or local authority, bearing direct responsibility for immediate handling.

Strict procedures must be followed for emergency medical care, health screening, legal registration, and formal transfer into protection systems.

Any organization or individual found delaying intervention, neglecting responsibility, or allowing children to be exploited or abused will face disciplinary or criminal consequences, he warned.

Vietnam is also set to overhaul its child protection model, shifting gradually from large centralized institutions toward family- and community-based care models using small homes and small care groups.

Under this approach, each group of children would be assigned stable caregivers to help create a more family-like environment that aligns with global child welfare standards.

Existing social protection centers will be upgraded in infrastructure, staffing, social work capacity, care standards, and safeguards against abuse.

Authorities were told to eliminate superficial operations, degraded facilities, and irresponsible management.

New protection facilities will be added in high-demand areas such as major cities and industrial zones.

The government was also ordered to finalize a connected national process linking child discovery, emergency reception, early care, and population database management so that all abandoned children are immediately registered and protected within the national data system.

The Ministry of Education and Training was tasked with designing education and integration programs by age group to ensure all vulnerable children attend school without stigma or discrimination.

Meanwhile, public security authorities will oversee legal documentation so children receive full access to education, healthcare, and social welfare benefits while strengthening monitoring to prevent exploitation and abuse.

Mass organizations were assigned to expand nationwide programs for abandoned children.