The National Childcare Service Publicity Month activity was launched, and many places actively explored new models——
To help solve the "difficulty of bringing children" for employees, how to make efforts in family childcare?
Reporter Zhou Ziyuan, Workers' Daily(2023-05-25 Version 03)
"Who will bring the baby when you give birth?" This is a practical problem that many families of childbearing age workers have to consider.
The National Health Commission recently issued a notice to carry out the National Childcare Service Publicity Month from May 5 to June 15.
At present, many places are exploring the family care model. The National Health Commission has also previously issued the Measures for the Management of Family Childcare Centers (Trial) (Draft for Comments), which solicits public opinions on the standardized management of family childcare centers. Can family childcare help more working families solve their childcare problems? Our reporter conducted an interview on this.
Family care points in the community "helped a lot"
On May 5, the reporter came to a family nursery site located in Tiantongyuan, Changping District, Beijing.
"The 150 square meter four-bedroom, two-living room and two-bathroom space is divided into a children's activity area, a reading area, a dining area and two rest rooms. Infants under the age of 3 who need day care in nearby communities are mainly enrolled, and are charged according to the childcare time. In the nursery point, Zhang Yuqiao, 33 years old this year, introduced to reporters.
"Family childcare centers are generally located in residential areas and are highly secure. This morning, a total of 4 babies entered the kindergarten. Zhang Yuqiao believes that the family childcare points in the community have natural advantages.
"The nursery point has helped me a lot!" Li Ya's family, who live nearby, sent their child to this family nursery when they turned 1. "On weekdays, I send my children when I go out and pick them up in the evening, and the total cost of various expenses for a month is about 4000,<> yuan, which is more cost-effective than asking an aunt to take care of them full-time. The teachers also cultivate the children's living habits very well. Li Ya said.
Industry insiders believe that family childcare has its own unique advantages. First of all, it is more affordable than childcare institutions on the market. Secondly, family childcare is generally convenient nearby, convenient for pick-up, early delivery and late pick-up, half-day, full-time, etc. can meet diversified needs. From the child's point of view, family care is closer to the home environment and easier to adapt.
There are many challenges
However, in the process of interviewing, the reporter also found that the number of family care institutions is small and the coverage is small, and there are still various difficulties in carrying out services in the community.
"When I brought my own children, I learned about family childcare, and it happened that my own family also had the conditions to open it, so I registered this childcare center." In the past 2 years of engaging in family childcare, Zhang Yuqiao has thought about giving up many times because of various problems. "I have encountered imperfect hardware such as site standards and health and safety levels, neighborhood complaints, unstable security personnel, and unguaranteed qualifications."
Children under the age of 3 have almost no self-management ability, and their care is much more difficult and intense than that of kindergarten-age children. Parents are also generally worried about the uneven quality of family childcare services, the difficulty of distinguishing between good and bad childcare teachers, and the healthy growth of infants and young children, and there are concerns about childcare for infants and young children.
In this regard, Liu Li of the College of Preschool Education of Capital Normal University believes that family care is a very effective and convenient way to alleviate the problem of infants under the age of 3. However, it should also be noted that there is a problem of teacher security in family childcare. Normal market childcare institutions recruit qualification certificates, academic qualifications and other requirements, but family childcare may not be guaranteed. In addition, many family childcare centres are not stable enough.
Explore a new path of "early childhood"
The Measures for the Administration of Family Childcare Sites (Trial) (Draft for Comments) issued by the National Health Commission clarifies the definition of family childcare points, puts forward specific requirements in terms of the number of family childcare points, per capita area and professional conditions, and promotes the development of family childcare points in the direction of standardization and standardization.
"The key is that family childcare should be effectively supervised, relying on the community to bring all family childcare points into the scope of supervision to ensure the safe growth of infants and young children," Liu Li said. I believe that it is necessary for the exposure draft to put forward specific requirements for family childcare. ”
"The government can provide training opportunities to improve the professional competence of childcare personnel. It is also hoped that the society will pay more attention to the lack of 0~3 years old infant and toddler care professionals. Liu Li said.
The "2025th Five-Year Plan" clearly states that by 4, the number of trusts per 5,<> population in China will increase to <>.<>. At present, all localities are also actively exploring the management of family childcare points. For example, Jinan's "Quanxin Care" brand to benefit the people and build a government-led family childcare point. Zhejiang is also actively deploying family childcare points, and there are currently two forms of "institutional-operated" family childcare and "family mutual childcare".
"Learning from the good experience and practices of family childcare in various places, allowing the government and the community to participate more, on the one hand, with external supervision, on the other hand, can also bring more support to family childcare and promote the better development of the family childcare industry." Liu Li said.