China will set up more aid centers for street children in cities, a senior official has said.

As one of the most vulnerable groups, street children need special care and protection so that their rights are better safeguarded, said Zhang Mingliang, head of the Social Welfare and Social Affairs Department of the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

Zhang made the remarks on the sidelines of an ongoing national workshop on civil affairs that started Monday in Zhengzhou, capital of central China's Henan Province.

Currently street children have access to food and accommodation at relief stations, which also provide help for adult vagrants.

The street children's centers to be established across China will offer not only room and board but also basic education.

Civil affairs authorities help as many as 150,000 street kids every year. Experts estimate that there are a total of 1 million street children in China.

Relevant authorities are carrying out probes and research to figures out the investment into the street children's centers and other details.

The city of Zhengzhou started cooperation with the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) in aiding street kids in 2001. It is the first city that separated street children from adults in terms of public assistance.

(Xinhua News Agency May 18, 2006)