First blue book on early childhood development launched

The first blue book on early development of children aged 3 and under in China was released on Wednesday, providing targeted recommendations to address challenges including insufficient investment, imbalances in urban and rural areas, and a lack of professional talent.

The blue book of children, titled "China 0-3 Years Early Childhood Development Report (2024)" and released by the China Philanthropy Research Institute at Beijing Normal University, urges the transition from a compensatory to a universal welfare approach in early childhood development of about 30 million children under 3 in the country.

Gao Huajun, head of the institute, said early childhood care and development for children under three years old has become part of China's strategy to address aging population and promote balanced demographic development.

The inclusion of achieving 4.5 childcare slots per 1,000 people as a national target in the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) reflects a new phase of universal development, according to the report.

As of February this year, China has nearly 100,000 childcare service institutions providing 4.8 million slots, marking the provision of 3.38 childcare slots per 1,000 people, it said.

"In China, we have paid relatively late attention to the age group under 3," Gao said, adding that the country is facing some structural challenges in the sector, such as misalignment with population development strategies and insufficient support systems for childbearing.

China is now at a turning point, transitioning from localized pilots and explorations toward comprehensive institutional development and widespread implementation. Universal approach to child welfare is particularly important to effectively focus on the age group, he said.

The blue book emphasizes the importance of scaling local innovative practices and the training of professional talent, urging collaborative efforts involving the government, enterprises, and social organizations.

Specific budget lines in central government expenditure and philanthropic contributions are encouraged to enhance the funding for children under the age of 3, it said.

Song Wenzhen, former deputy director of the National Working Committee on Children and Women under the State Council, highlighted the need for prioritizing family-oriented public services over building infrastructure.

"Many supportive policies have been focusing on building facilities rather than management or services," Song said, calling for balancing the investment in infrastructure and early childcare services.

Moreover, she highlighted further strengthening family-friendly policies to improve the comprehensive early childhood development, such as integrating parental education into public services and standardizing maternity benefits and parental leave policies to ensure equitable support across regions.

Lu Mai, former vice-president of the China Development Research Foundation, emphasized that addressing gaps in early childhood development, especially in rural and underdeveloped areas, could yield high returns.

Echoing Lu, Shi Yaojiang from Shaanxi Normal University also emphasized the critical need for trained professionals and scalable interventions to bridge disparities between urban and rural areas, particularly in nurturing rather than simply providing childcare.

Most practitioners of early childhood development are trained for children between 3 and 6, with their roles now being downgraded to cover the group under 3, Shi said.

"Despite the decline in birthrates, rural women still constitute the primary group for childbearing. Addressing the challenge of population growth hinges on effectively solving the problem of nurturing and educating children in rural areas," he said.