Targeted policy can enhance family well-being

Editor's note: Guangming Daily spoke to some researchers, including Lu Jiehua, a professor at the School of Population and Health at Renmin University of China, about how to improve the policy framework to support family development. Below are excerpts of the interviews. The views don't necessarily represent those of China Daily.

The primary challenge confronting many ordinary families nowadays is the shortage of quality time together. Factors such as extended working hours and lengthy commutes take up a large share of personal time, leaving parents with little opportunity to accompany and educate their children, and adult children struggling to care for elderly parents.

To address these issues, better policies and social services aimed at increasing family time and reducing the work burden are essential. They can alleviate the challenges that families face in childcare and elderly care and boost their well-being and resilience.

The policy framework for supporting family development covers several key dimensions. The first is economic support, which includes the childcare subsidies rolled out by both local and central authorities in recent years. Second, policies and services are designed to ease tensions between professional responsibilities and the need to take care of the family. Measures include implementing maternity leave, parental leave and other leave policies, and developing childcare centers. Third, support is given for elderly care through services such as aging-in-place renovations and respite care. Fourth, it involves providing a gender-friendly environment. Women's contributions to childcare, housework and eldercare should be better recognized, and paternity leave should be promoted.

Improving the policy framework is vital for responding to challenges such as weakened family functions and growing pressure on residents. The step will enhance modern families' capacity to raise children, support older family members, sustain emotional bonds and handle emergencies.

Targeted policies can also help reduce people's expenditure on marriage, childbearing, children's education, housing and elderly care, easing financial burdens and reducing anxiety.

A robust family development policy framework will promote mutual understanding and harmony among family members, thus ensuring societal stability and order. At the same time, a sound environment for family development can raise people's willingness to get married and have children, thus optimizing the demographic structure.

Different families have distinct needs, so policies should be tailored accordingly. For example, urban families face higher living costs and insufficient family time. The policies for such families should focus on upgrading public services, easing household burdens and facilitating a work-family balance. Efforts should be stepped up to expand public services such as inclusive childcare, after-school care and home-based elderly care, while ensuring the implementation of paid leave and flexible working arrangements. Housing and parenting costs should also be lowered through housing subsidies and tax reductions.

On the other hand, the challenges for rural families are primarily limited income and inadequate public services. Support policies for these families should prioritize expanding income channels, increasing investment in education, healthcare and elderly care infrastructure in rural areas, and advancing the development of a social security system that covers both urban and rural residents equally.