Childcare subsidy program reaches over 25 million recipients

The National Health Commission said on Tuesday that 27.51 million applications for this year's childcare subsidy had been submitted nationwide, with 27.13 million approved and 25.16 million recipients already receiving payments.

Last year, the national program was launched to provide an annual allowance of 3,600 yuan ($532) for each eligible child under the age of 3, retroactive to Jan 1, 2025.

The commission and the Ministry of Finance have extended the deadline for first-time applications for children born between 2022 and 2024 to Dec 31, this year. Eligible families can apply through the childcare subsidy information management system on Alipay, WeChat or provincial government service platforms by selecting the "2022-2024 Extended Application Channel" and following the instructions.

A new "one-click renewal" feature was added to the system this year, enabling eligible families to renew their applications more conveniently.

The commission has also incorporated birth support into its list of practical public services and rolled out a package of new measures to ease the burden of raising children.

It plans to add 150,000 subsidized nursery slots nationwide this year to reduce childcare costs for families and increase nursery enrollment rates based on local conditions.

Another 1,000 township health centers and community health service centers will be equipped to diagnose and treat common childhood illnesses.

Legislation on childcare services is also advancing steadily. The draft childcare services law has passed its first reading and has been released for public consultation.

To date, more than 12,000 early pregnancy clinics have been established in medical institutions with obstetrics and gynecology departments across the country, covering nearly all counties and districts.

According to the commission, from this year to 2030, China will steadily expand the scope of free education, explore extending the length of compulsory education, and support children from families with multiple children in attending the same school.

Housing support for couples who are first-married and first-time parents will also be strengthened, with housing security and home purchase policies favoring families with multiple children.