China allocates 45.8b yuan to support preschool education

BEIJING -- China's Ministry of Finance (MOF) has allocated 45.8 billion yuan (about $6.7 billion) in funds to support preschool education development in 2026, marking an increase of 12.56 billion yuan, or 38 percent, from the previous year.

The funding will mainly support local governments in consolidating and implementing policies that scrap childcare and education fees for preschool children, expand access to inclusive education resources, improve education quality, and strengthen financial aid systems for children from low-income families and other disadvantaged groups.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), China's central government allocated a total of 126.2 billion yuan to support preschool education, according to the ministry.

Starting from the autumn semester of 2025, China waived childcare and education fees for children in their final year at public kindergartens, while providing corresponding subsidies for eligible children attending private institutions.

The policy has benefited more than 14 million children and reduced household education expenses by over 20 billion yuan, the MOF said, pledging to work with the Ministry of Education to guide local authorities to strengthen provincial-level coordination, ensure proper allocation of central and local subsidy funds, and guarantee the normal operation of kindergartens.

Authorities will also continue efforts to expand access to quality preschool education, address existing shortcomings, and steadily improve the overall standard of early childhood education services, the MOF said.