"It's very necessary to set up a special government organ to work for children and safeguard children's welfare," Liu told China Daily on Wednesday, stressing that children comprise a considerable portion of the country's population.

Figures from the National Bureau of Statistics show that China had 246.6 million people under the age of 14 in 2009, 18.5 percent of the population.

At present, children's affairs are handled by the All-China Women's Federation, the Ministry of Civil Affairs and other governmental departments, which creates challenges in coordinating and planning initiatives, said Ma Li, the director of a rescue center for homeless children in Xuzhou city, Jiangsu province.

Ma said most homeless children keep running away after they are sent back to their homes.

He said he conducted random checks during the Spring Festival holidays on eight children who had been sent back to their homes after running away and found that only one child remained at home.

The issue of child protection has drawn increasing attention from the public and government since an online campaign was started in late January that was aimed at helping reunite child beggars with their families.

Premier Wen Jiabao said during his online chat with netizens at the weekend that he had asked the civil affairs and public security departments to work out comprehensive steps to better help homeless children and young beggars.