The committee is designing a programme to intensify community-based care for disabled children for the next five years.

The project will develop a database on disadvantaged children, assist localities to carry out programmes on childcare, raise funds and build models for disabled kids' rehabilitation in their families and communities.

Over the past ten years, many programmes have been carried out to fulfil international commitments on children's rights. Special education faculties were set up in seven pedagogic schools to train kindergarten and primary teachers in helping over 230,000 disabled children go to school.

Special schools for disadvantaged pupils have been built in many cities and provinces with support from non-governmental organisations and domestic agencies. At these schools, normal children are also enrolled to help disabled classmates to integrate soon into the community,

Fifteen foreign and domestic organisations are joining hands to conduct 43 programmes on disabled children's education.

The authorised agencies also attend to health care and nursing for disabled children. About one-fourth of disabled children in general and three-fourths of children with serious disabilities have now received care in various forms from social organisations.

In 2005, the National Fund for Vietnamese Children raised VND29 billion (US$1.8 million), with large contributions by international organisations, for free-of-charge operations for children with harelips, rehabilitation surgeries for another 5,000 handicapped children, and wheelchairs for nearly 600 children.