It was learned by the reporter from Shenyang Municipal Bureau of Civil Affairs on May 17 that for the purpose of further improving the work system for the protection of minors and establishing and improving the multi-departmental collaboration work mechanism, Shenyang took the lead in Liaoning Province to issue the Regulation Regarding Case Consultation for the Protection of Minors (Trial) (hereinafter referred to as the "Regulation Regarding Case Consultation") and the Regulation Regarding Background Checks on the Workers for the Positions with Close Contact with Minors in the Civil Affairs Sector in Shenyang (hereinafter referred to as the "Regulation Regarding Background Checks").

Following the principles of "law-based administration, fairness and justice, localized administration, division of labor, and giving priority to the interests of minors", the Regulation Regarding Case Consultation establishes the case assistance model of "multi-departmental collaboration in handling the case accepted by one department", and strives to achieve the positive effects of resolving the cases, standardizing compilation of case records, handling the after-care and guiding public opinion through the case consultation mechanism. It is introduced that the circumstances of initiating case consultation mainly include: the matters that cannot be solved within the scope of responsibility of the case handling department and need to be solved by multiple departments due to the bullying at school, lack of family guardianship (improper guardianship), education and medical treatment of children in need and other problems; policy-related and regulatory difficulties encountered in the process of case handling; and the circumstances that may cause adverse effects.

The Regulation Regarding Background Checks is Liaoning Province's first regulation regarding background checks on the workers for the positions with close contact with minors in the civil affairs sector, for the purpose of making greater efforts to manage the workers for the positions with close contact with minors in the civil affairs sector and preventing their crimes committed against minors by taking advantage of their positions. The persons subject to checks include the supervisors and directors of children, as well as the workers of Shenyang Municipal Institution for Children's Welfare and the centers for the protection of minors at all levels. The scope of checks includes the sexual crimes committed against minors. Recently, Shenyang Municipal Bureau of Civil Affairs will closely cooperate with Shenyang People's Procuratorate to conduct centralized checks on the crime information of 3,023 workers for the positions with close contact with minors in the civil affairs sector. After that, regular checks will be implemented, and the checks on new entrants will be conducted once a quarter. Thanks to the Regulation Regarding Background Checks, the relevant departments can effectively move the case prevention and control threshold forward, pay close attention to prevention and early warning, conduct real-time monitoring, respond effectively, promote the establishment and improvement of the long-term mechanism for preventing and cracking down on crimes against minors, and ensure the healthy development of minors.

(Qiu Ju)