Community-Based Participatory Action Research for Left-behind Children in Rural China

Background and Purpose: According to the 2020 China Census, 41.77 million children under 18 in rural areas were left behind by migrant parents. Of these, 35.8% were under age five, and maternal migration accounted for 70.6%, leaving 10.55 million children without their mothers at home. These children face challenges not only in basic care but also in cognitive and emotional development. The research took place in a Banner (county-level division) in Inner Mongolia, where ethnic minorities make up 53.19% of the population. The core research question was: What can social work do with and for left-behind children and their families?

Methods: Guided by the community-based participatory action research (CBPAR) approach and values, this research project aimed to assess needs and provide support for left-behind children in Inner Mongolia, in collaboration with village committees, families, social work academics, and practitioners. In 2020, several members carried out community mapping in two villages, conducted key informant interviews with the directors of two village committees, and visited 15 families for in-depth interviews. Research memos and reflection notes were shared in group meetings, where findings, insights, and emerging questions were collectively discussed. A final meeting consisted of revisiting and confirming the community’s most pressing needs.

Findings: Two major needs emerged from the research: 1) the construction of a kindergarten in one village, which was located 10 kilometers from the nearest kindergarten. Furthermore, the existing kindergarten had limited space and rudimentary facilities; 2) the provision of social work services in the local elementary school to support left-behind children.

Two initiatives were proposed in response: 1) The local community would seek and hire a kindergarten teacher. The social work agency and university faculty would disseminate the research findings and help raise funds and equipment for building the kindergarten. If possible, they would also support the renovation of other kindergartens; 2) The social work agency and university faculty would help provide social work services in the schools.

Conclusions and Implications: In 2020, a detailed plan for the construction of a kindergarten was developed. The social work agency then reached out to members of the Youth Federation in Beijing for donations of essential equipment and supplies and contacted foundations to raise the necessary construction funds. In 2022, the kindergarten was completed and began serving its first cohort of students. Additionally, desks, supplies and computers were donated to two other Banners in Inner Mongolia, supporting the renovation of four kindergartens.

Meanwhile, support groups were initiated to help left-behind children build peer relationships, strengthen parent-child communication, and support their emotional and developmental growth. Casework services were offered to help children identify their challenges and strengths, discover their potential, and build self-confidence.

Through this CBPAR project, social work professionals gained deeper insight into the community’s needs and priorities, contributed to meaningful local initiatives supporting left-behind children in Inner Mongolia, and helped strengthen collaboration among key stakeholders. The project illustrates the importance of practice-informed research, especially in contexts where social work education emerged before a well-defined understanding of practice was established.