China allocates more than 100 billion yuan for childcare subsidies
Beijing (ANTARA) - China allocates more than 100 billion yuan for childcare subsidies. The national subsidy program launched in 2025 provides a subsidy of 300 yuan per month for each child under the age of three.
Fiscal authorities at all levels nationwide have allocated funds for the subsidies, including more than 90 billion yuan from the central government, said Lei Haichao, head of the National Health Commission (NHC) of China, at a press conference on the sidelines of the annual session of China’s top legislature.
More than 33 million eligible children have been covered so far, Lei said, adding that the payments help families raise their children and support healthy development.
Birth-friendly society is a key aspect in the draft outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030), which is currently being reviewed in the ongoing session of the legislature.
‘The 15th Five-Year Plan period is a crucial stage for China’s population development,’ said He Dan, head of the Population and Development Research Center under the Chinese National Health Commission. He added that the country will take systematic steps, from planning and funding to policy formulation, to effectively boost people’s willingness to have children.
In addition to direct subsidies, various measures are being taken to promote the country’s population development.
‘During the past year alone, 890,000 publicly funded childcare slots have been added, bringing the total to 6.6 million,’ Lei said, describing the expansion as an important policy support.
Meanwhile, birth leave in China has generally been extended to more than 158 days, accompanied by paternity leave for couples and parental leave, so new mothers feel more supported.
The draft broader plan calls for expanding the coverage of maternity insurance, full implementation of maternity leave policy, and strengthening childcare services, according to Liu Dechun, an official at the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).
The draft also aims to increase the registration rate of children under three by 6 percentage points, by supporting the integration of childcare services with kindergartens and diverse publicly funded childcare programs, Liu said at another press conference on Saturday.
‘Making a birth-friendly society is a systematic task,’ said Yang Fan, associate dean at the Population and Health Faculty of Renmin University of China, noting that the key in the 15th Five-Year Plan period is to convert fragmented policies into an integrated system, thereby creating support that covers the entire life cycle.