Some orphans in North China's Shanxi Province have been given free insurance policies designed to cover the cost of treating 12 critical illnesses, Xinhua News Agency reported.

These children are among more than 70,000?ones in the country to benefit from the program.

An insurance fund created through donations became accessible for a year from June 1, Children's Day, said Hu Heidi, the managing director of the China Children Insurance Foundation.

The?other beneficiaries came from Beijing, Qinghai, Tianjin, Henan, and the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

According to the report, the foundation launched the joint program in cooperation with the Ministry of Civil Affairs three years ago to provide free insurance for the children of poor families and the 712,000 orphans under the age of 18 registered with the ministry.