One Child Policy Relaxed After Quake

7,000 classrooms collapsed during China's May 12 earthquake, taking the lives of at least 10,000 children, most of whom were only children.

While nothing can replace the memories or tragic loss of the thousands of parents who have lost their beloved children, the Chengdu Family Planning Commission has issued new guidelines, allowing families who lost children in the earthquake to have more than one child.  You can also read a google-translated version, which gives a rough English translation of the policy for those who don't read Chinese.

Here are some of the highlights:

• parents who lost children in the earthquake are first-in-line to adopt some of the newly-orphaned children, and they're also able to have another biological child 
• if a child had more than one child, and the first child, who was "legal" died, another child could be registered legally
• if the dead child were illegal, the parents wouldn't have to pay any additional fines
• if parents either lost a child who was under 18, or if their only child was badly injured, they can receive a certificate that allows them to have another child
• parents over the age of 50 who lost their only child will receive an annual subsidy equal to about $86 USD annually

Even with the more relaxed policy, don't expect an exploding birthrate for those in cities like Mianyang, which were closest to the epicenter.  At this point, most parents are too devastated by their loss to consider having another child right now.

A simple certificate "permitting" you to have another child seems like a fairly callous gesture to grieving parents who only have a few pictures or a backpack to remind them of their beloved child.

In order to stay in line with the policy and prevent an unplanned pregnancy, many parents have become sterile, so they couldn't have another child even if they wanted to.  Others might be too old to restart a family.  For others, the pain might be too deep.

Many parents' sorrow has turned to anger, and they blame local officials for not ensuring safer buildings for their children.  

At a memorial meeting for children who died in the Juyuan Middle School collapse, some parents shouted at local officials who they say should have done a better job making sure the school building was safe.  Only 13 of the 900 students escaped from now-collapsed school building.  

Other encounters between angry parents and government officials have resulted in police clashes. 

I can't even begin to imagine the potential pain that many of these parents have, or how difficult it will be for these families to put their lives back together.  Tens of millions have lost their homes, and will have to make a clean start.  

While we are able to send money to relief agencies that can provide tents, blankets, and medical supplies, it will be far more difficult to provide psychological support and to comfort those who are grieving.

Despite these obstacles, there are still hundreds of volunteers on the ground giving hope to the grieving.  The road to recovery might prove even more difficult than the daunting task of navigating through the mountainous back roads of Sichuan Province, but at the very least, these policy adjustments are a step in the right direction.  They're just not enough.