Recently six US families came in hopes of becoming parents to the needy youngsters. They are the first foreigners to adopt children in China this year.
About 500 orphans or abandoned children live in Shanghai Children's Welfare Institution. The local government allots 10 million yuan ($1.21 million) to the institution every year.
Some of the orphans were lucky enough to find happiness after being adopted, which is made easier by a revised adoption law in 1999. Last year, 50 local families adopted children from the institution.
(Shanghai Star 02/22/2001)
