Recently, some media quoted the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission as saying that this year, Shanghai will further increase the efforts to set up daycare classes in kindergartens. On the basis of ensuring the demand for children aged 3 to 6 to enter kindergartens, it is required that kindergartens, especially public kindergartens, achieve the goal of "opening as many daycare classes as possible and as many as possible", and increase the number of daycare classes in public kindergartens by no less than 2000 throughout the year. According to statistics, nearly 1000 kindergartens in Shanghai have set up daycare classes, accounting for 60% of all kindergartens. Against the backdrop of the fact that "difficulty in entering kindergarten" is still a common pain point for young parents, it is not surprising that this news sparked widespread discussion. How to balance work and family, especially taking care of children under the age of 3, is a challenge that many families are currently facing. Kindergartens require three year old children to enter the kindergarten, and before the age of three, they can only be raised by their grandparents, or sent to market-oriented childcare institutions, or raised by their mothers. With the increasing miniaturization of the family structure, the support that families can give in raising children is becoming weaker and weaker, and many grandparents are increasingly unable to take care of children. As for sending children to market-oriented childcare institutions, not to mention the overall small number of institutions, limited selection range, and generally high prices, the uneven quality also makes it difficult for many parents to rest assured. Amidst a dilemma, many mothers have had to temporarily suspend their career development or choose more flexible jobs to alleviate their current parenting difficulties. For a group of women with increasing overall education levels and higher aspirations in the workplace, this is exactly the option they should strive to avoid. These practical difficulties not only raise the cost of family rearing, but also to some extent suppress the willingness of many families to have children. Whether it is encouraging childbirth to cope with the pressure of fewer children in society, or extending the national welfare system throughout the entire life cycle, building a social shared infant care service system is an inevitable choice. In 2021, according to statistics from the National Health Commission, the number of infants and young children aged 0 to 3 in China was approximately 42 million, with one-third having a strong demand for childcare services. However, the actual enrollment rate is only about 5.5%, indicating a significant supply gap. In this context, it is not difficult to understand the public opinion's "enthusiasm" for Shanghai's continuous promotion of the development of the childcare industry. This enthusiasm for public discussion is a fervent expectation for "nurturing young children" and a call to the government to increase the supply of inclusive childcare. In fact, developing a universal childcare service system has already been included in the task list of governments at all levels. In August 2022, the National Health Commission and 17 other departments jointly issued the "Guiding Opinions on Further Improving and Implementing Positive Fertility Support Measures", which clearly stated the need to develop a universal childcare service system to promote the establishment of a positive fertility support policy system. The 14th Five Year Plan for Public Services also specifies that by 2025, there will be 4.5 childcare facilities for infants and young children under the age of 3 per thousand people. Shanghai, Zhejiang, and other places are encouraging kindergartens to extend downwards and provide childcare services for children over 2 years old, promoting the integration of childcare and early childhood, which can be said to be timely. This move is not only a precise response to current public issues, but also as the peak enrollment in kindergartens rapidly passes in multiple places, releasing some degree resources in kindergartens, which will open more daycare classes for kindergartens
Edit：Luo yu Responsible editor：Wang xiao jing
Source：GMW.cn
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