A volunteer takes care of a de facto orphan. Official data show China now has around 500，000 de facto orphans. Xinhua
　　The Ministry of Civil Affairs， the Supreme People’s Court and 10 other government departments of China jointly issued a document on de facto orphans. According to the guidelines stated in the document， de facto orphans are children whose parents are under one of the following conditions： severely disabled or ill， incarcerated or in detention， in compulsory isolation for drug rehabilitation or restriction， or cannot be contacted. If only one of a child’s parents meets such conditions and the other is dead or missing， the child can also be classified as a de facto orphan.
　　These are China’s first guidelines to strengthen protection and support for de facto orphans. The document also stipulates several supporting measures for de facto orphans including a basic living allowance， healthcare and education services， and necessary custody guidance and support.