Privately-run orphanage gets government fund (2)

Wang, who never received formal schooling and was a carpenter by trade, was not well off himself. His wife suffers epilepsy and four of their five children are mentally impaired.

But, even so, over the past 18 years, he has fostered more than 500 children. At least 70 percent of them are mentally or physically disabled.

Before the government takeover of the orphanage, he was taking care of more than 200 children, all of whom call him "dad."

"They all need a helping hand," said Wang, who has struggled to raise money for the children with the help of villagers and volunteers.

Yingshang county is among the poorest in China and the local government was unable to provide Wang with any material support.

In the 1990s, the civil affairs bureau authorized Wang to be the exclusive retailer of cinerary caskets, a business that yielded an annual income of 60,000 yuan.

But Wang's business and all his property were ruined in a devastating flood in the summer of 2003 and he has since relied on donations and loans to keep the orphanage running.

In 2010, the county government received a special fund from the state for a new welfare home under the charge of the civil affairs bureau.