Baby Making Time - China’s One Child Policy Lifted After Quake

In the aftermath of the devastating 7.9 magnitude earthquake in the Sichuan province, China’s government has decided to wave the one-child policy for some parents whose children were victims of the May 12, 2008 natural disaster. Parents who qualified were granted permission to have a second child.

As every parents knows, a child cannot replaced. Even many who would like to try for another child are now unable as they are too old or have been sterilized.

“To lose a child is to lose everything for Chinese parents,” says Zhongxin Sun, a sociology professor at Fudan University. “A child is their only hope.”

Some parents are really relieved the one-child policy, which was introduced in 1979, has been waived.

“If a couple’s legally born child was killed in the earthquake, an illegal child under 18 years could be registered as a legal replacement,” the NY Times explained. “If the dead child was illegal, it said the family would no longer be responsible for outstanding fines, although parents would not be reimbursed for penalties already paid.”

51,151 people were proclaimed dead as of May 22, 29,328 missing and 288,431 injured according to boston.com.

It’s estimated about 10,000 students were killed as a result of the quake and there are around 4,000 orphans needing homes.