Government-backed summer childcare program flourishing

Addressing parents' needs

"Small children aren't able to look after themselves, and we parents find it unnerving to leave them alone at home," said Li Yan, a parent from Shandong province.

From Li's perspective, daycare programs provided by schools are a great solution for parents who have such worries.

To meet the needs of more parents, the scale of the childcare program in the Jiyang district has expanded year by year, with the number of students participating increasing from 600 in the first year to more than 2,600 this year.

The country's education authorities have stipulated that daycare programs ought to be, in their nature, a public service that doesn't create financial burdens for parents. Organizers across the country have strictly adhered to this principle.

For instance, in Taiyuan, the capital of Shanxi province, a summer vacation daycare service is provided at a reasonable price of 50 yuan per day. Students from families with financial difficulties can attend daycare courses for free.