Inclusive childcare, supporting a happy childhood (big data observation)

General Secretary Xi Jinping presided over the first meeting of the 20th Central Finance and Economic Commission, emphasizing that vigorously develop the inclusive childcare service system and significantly reduce the burden of family reproduction, parenting and education.

Create a 15-minute childcare service circle, build a smart childcare information platform, and develop new formats such as medical and educational integration and smart childcare... All localities have actively explored diversified inclusive childcare services, and heart-warming measures have made up for the shortcomings of people's livelihood and improved the happiness of thousands of households.

The upbringing and growth of infants and young children is related to thousands of households. Data show that more than thirty percent of infant and young child families in China have a strong demand for childcare, and the market demand for nearby childcare services is very strong.

In recent years, the development of childcare services in China has achieved certain results. Encourage the diversified development of inclusive childcare services, improve the technical ability of personnel in childcare positions, and improve industry self-discipline and social supervision mechanisms...... A series of powerful policies and measures have continuously reduced the burden of family reproduction, parenting and education, and the people have a more real sense of gain from early childhood.

Pratt & Whitney: By the end of last year, there were about 7,5 childcare institutions nationwide

After work, Ms. Li, who lives in Chengdu, Sichuan, picked up her child home from the community smart childcare center on time, "The childcare center opened at the doorstep, there is a special person to take care of, only 10 minutes away from home, the price is lower than outside, which solves the big problem of our dual-income family, and the elderly at home are much more relaxed." ”

Chengdu has promoted the construction of the "Rong Yito" community smart childcare center, focusing on creating a 15-minute childcare service circle and gradually solving the "difficulty of entering childcare".

At the National Childcare Service Promotion Conference held recently, Yu Xuejun, deputy director of the National Health Commission, said that in recent years, China's childcare service supply has made positive progress. From 2020 to 2023, a total of about 36.48 billion yuan will be invested in the central budget to build <> new comprehensive service centers for childcare at or above the prefecture and city level.

Data show that by the end of 2022, there were about 7,5 childcare institutions in the country, providing about 350.2 million childcare places, or about 5.<> childcare places per <>,<> population.

To strengthen the supply of childcare services, we must adhere to the priority of inclusiveness.

Zhejiang selected 17 cities and counties, including Hangzhou, Ningbo and Wenzhou, to launch the pilot project of inclusive childcare into basic public services, and explore the projects, contents and standards of inclusive childcare basic public services; Fujian Xiamen vigorously develops welfare childcare, encourages and supports the construction of employee welfare childcare institutions in industrial parks... All localities have fully mobilized social forces to develop various models such as community childcare, unit childcare, kindergarten childcare, and family childcare.

To strengthen the supply of childcare services, it is necessary to gather multiple forces.

Mao Zhuoyan, deputy director of the Population Development Research Center of Capital University of Economics and Business, suggested that to build an inclusive childcare service system, we should focus on solving the problem of prominent contradictions between service supply and demand, revitalize the stock, expand the increment, and encourage various social forces to enter the childcare market to increase the total supply.

Quality improvement: New formats such as the combination of medical education and smart childcare are constantly emerging

Let parents rest assured that childcare services should not only benefit the development of inclusiveness, but also improve quality and efficiency.

In July last year, 7 departments, including the National Health Commission and the National Development and Reform Commission, jointly issued the Guiding Opinions on Further Improving and Implementing Active Fertility Support Measures, which clearly proposed to improve the quality of childcare services.

In March this year, the National Health Commission and the National Development and Reform Commission selected the first batch of national infant and child care service demonstration cities, and some good experience and practices have attracted attention.

Relying on the community health service center (township health center), Zhengzhou, Henan Province established the "Scientific Parenting Guidance Service Center" to provide full-process and normalized scientific childcare guidance for infant families and childcare institutions in the jurisdiction; Shandong Jinan has built a childcare information platform to integrate institutional management, scheduling, nutritious meals and other links to improve service efficiency; Liuzhou, Guangxi, has promoted strategic cooperation between medical institutions and vocational colleges, improved the training program for childcare professionals, and cultivated more than 7,1100 childcare talents every year in <> colleges and universities in the city.

In the innovation and exploration of various places, new formats such as the integration of medical education and smart childcare continue to emerge——

Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province promotes infant and child care institutions to achieve full coverage of child care doctors, and carries out health education, professional guidance and consulting services for infant nutrition, growth and development, psychological behavior, etc.; Shanghai Pudong has established a standardized, orderly, and co-governed comprehensive supervision system for the childcare service industry, using remote technology to carry out real-time inspections and strengthen industry supervision; Build smart childcare platforms in many places, improve the safety and standardization of childcare with the help of information means, and promote the healthy development of the childcare service industry.

"The childcare service industry has developed rapidly in recent years, but China's childcare service is still in the initial stage of development on the whole, and problems such as imperfect service system and low development quality need to be solved." Lu Jiehua, professor of the Department of Sociology of Peking University and vice president of the Chinese Oral Society, believes that in order to meet the public's demand for high-quality childcare services, it is still necessary to continue to increase investment in professionalism and safety in the future, and take multiple measures in terms of service management, supporting facilities, and talent training to provide continuous and professional services and guidance for infant families.

Accumulating strength: Policies, regulations, standards and norms are gradually improved

"To meet the needs of most families for convenient, accessible, affordable and guaranteed quality childcare services, the task of childcare services is still very arduous and heavy, especially around the key nodes of childcare services such as 'housing, people, and funds', and relevant support policies are needed to be implemented." Mao Zhuoyan said.

In recent years, China's childcare service standard and normative system has continued to improve. Since 2019, the National Health Commission and relevant departments have formulated and issued standards for the establishment of childcare institutions, management norms, registration and filing methods, childcare guidelines, infant injury prevention guidelines, nutritional feeding guidelines, fire safety guidelines, training guidelines for heads of childcare institutions and childcare personnel, etc., and revised national occupational skill standards related to childcare such as childcare teachers.

In August last year, the National Development and Reform Commission and other departments jointly issued the "Several Policies and Measures for the Relief and Support of the Elderly Care Service Industry", and increased support in a targeted manner. For example, the central budget has invested to increase support for the construction of old-age care facilities, included the construction of old-age care facilities into the scope of local government special bond support, and supported old-age care service institutions to rely on vocational colleges to jointly build industry-education integration training bases.

In March this year, the Population and Family Department of the National Health Commission publicly solicited opinions on the Measures for the Management of Family Childcare Centers (Trial) (Draft for Comments), encouraging the use of residences to provide full-day care, half-day care, timed care, temporary childcare and other services for infants and toddlers under the age of three, and standardizing the registration, collection and management of family childcare centers.

In addition, many cities have introduced a package of "policy packages" and support measures, giving subsidies and preferential treatment in land planning, financial support, talent training and other aspects.

Hengshui, Hebei Province, implements free daycare for families with a third child, and provides a monthly subsidy of 300 yuan for families with the first and second infants; Suzhou, Jiangsu Province will provide a construction fund subsidy of 1,300 yuan/nursery place and an operating subsidy of 800-1 yuan/person/month for inclusive childcare institutions; Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province refers to the local public funding standard for kindergarten students, and provides subsidies of 2.1 times for kindergarten classes, 5.2 times for nursery classes, and <> times for nursery classes.

The improvement of supporting measures in various places has significantly reduced the price of childcare and significantly increased the enrollment rate, effectively solving the urgent problems and worries of the majority of infant and young children's families.

A series of heart-warming measures have made up for the shortcomings of people's livelihood, released policy dividends, and provided strong support for meeting the diversified needs of the people for childcare services.

Typography design: Shen Yiling

Reporter Yang Yanfan