Abstract: Care and protection of de facto unattended children is a key part of the 'Six Major Protections for Minors, and how to enhance the effectiveness of their care and protection is essential for social work services. Assessment of the needs for care and protection of de facto unattended children reveals that their survival needs are basically satisfied, while their relationship needs and development needs are lacking to varying degrees and gradually decreasing. Based on this, a developmental social work service model for the care and protection of de facto unattended children was explored including two phases: construction and development. In the construction stage, the ROPES model is used to explore the potential strengths of de facto unattended children, and the establishment, maintenance and development of emotional relationships are used to enhance and strengthen the degree of fulfilment of their needs for care and protection, so as to build self-help for individuals, families, communities and other subjects. In the development phase, through the comprehensive construction of investment programmes geared towards future development goals, the existing care and protection alternatives are transformed into assistance and support that will help their growth and development, effectively resolving the problem of obstacles to the development of care and protection for de facto unattended children, and jointly promoting the coordinated economic and social development of the community.

Key words: de facto unattended children, care and protection, developmental social work, service mode