Abstract: Child directors are direct providers of child care and protection. The construction of the team of child directors is an important basis for good child care and protection. Taking H County, a typical economically underdeveloped county, as an example, this research analyzes the performance of children directors in Northwestern China. Our survey shows that the team of child directors is generally younger, with higher educational background, consists of more female practitioners, has a lower holding rate of professional qualification certificates, enjoys lower allowance, and works shorter time. Child directors are also more likely to work part-time and have a higher mobility rate. Child directors have many problems performing their duties, such as insufficient working time, high mobility, incomplete work content, and biased focus. Child directors also encounter many difficulties and significant pressures. The profound reason is that the post setting of children director is unreasonable: the job is unstable and lacks effective supervision; practitioners are generally incompetent and unprofessional; there is inadequate corresponding supervision , and the system and mechanisms of children’s work are not sound. Our research suggests that we need to create job posts of child directors practically and realistically in Northwestern China to enhance the stability of the post. Further efforts should be made to cultivate and preserve the professional talents of children directors. Further, more should be done to strengthen the top-level design of children’s work and improve the supervision and security mechanism for children’s work.

Key words: director of children, perform duties, ability, stability, security