CRI听力:Overburdened Baby Hatches Shut Down

The controversial baby hatch program for unwanted infants is now struggling to find a way forward due to mounting financial pressure and staff shortages.

A baby hatch in the city of Quzhou in Zhejiang has been relocated to a welfare center for children where the babies will receive better care.

Officials with the facility say they're going to have to limit the number of abandoned infants they can take in, saying they're only going to be able to accept children from the city of Quzhou itself.

The baby hatch in Quzhou is also going to limit the hours it can take unwanted children, and will be shut down on the weekend.

The creation of the baby hatch program in China has been controversial.

Critics of the program argue the hatches encourage parents to abandon their children.

Supporters say the baby hatch program is a sign of social progress which protects children.

Li Cangyu is a commentator with Beijing Television.

"If the parents know that they can send their unwanted child to a baby hatch, they aren't likely to do things such as abandonment or even infanticide. I think the baby hatches are important. Admittedly, it's not clear whether it may lead to more abandonment. However, we do know the baby hatches do save lives."

Baby hatch programs in the cities of Guangzhou, Jinan and Xiamen have all been shut down or suspended due to financial difficulties and staff shortages.

Guangzhou Children Welfare Center set up a baby hatch just back in January.

However, the facility had to be shut down two months later, as it was unable to support the 262 babies left at the shelter during that period.

Despite the problems they face, those who run the baby hatches have been pressing for help to keep them open.

Zhu Hong is the director of Nanjing Children Welfare Center.

"Babies are also humans, and they are innocent. Their parents may send them to baby hatches for various reasons. However, life comes first and we should protect them."

The baby hatch program in China is currently still on a trial run.

The first baby hatch in China was set up in 2011 in Hebei's capital, Shijiazhuang.

Since then, 32 other shelters have been opened up across the country, providing care for more than 14-hundred abandoned babies.

For CRI, I'm Yu Yang.