SCIO briefing on China's child care subsidy system and childbirth support measures

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Speakers:

Ms. Guo Yanhong, vice minister of the National Health Commission (NHC)

Ms. Guo Yang, director general of the Department of Social Security of the Ministry of Finance (MOF)

Mr. Wang Haidong, director general of the Department of Population Surveillance and Family Development of the NHC

Ms. Liu Juan, deputy director general of the Department of Benefits Security of the National Healthcare Security Administration (NHSA)

Ms. Liu Hongmei, director general of the Department of Female Employees of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU)

Chairperson:

Mr. Zhou Jianshe, deputy director general of the Press Bureau of the State Council Information Office (SCIO) and spokesperson of the SCIO

Date: 

July 30, 2025

Zhou Jianshe:

Ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon. Welcome to this press conference held by the State Council Information Office (SCIO). The General Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council recently released a child care subsidy system implementation plan. To help introduce the program, today we have invited Ms. Guo Yanhong, vice minister of the National Health Commission (NHC), to brief you on China's child care subsidy system and childbirth support measures, and to answer your questions.

Also attending today's press conference are: Ms. Guo Yang, director general of the Department of Social Security of the Ministry of Finance (MOF); Mr. Wang Haidong, director general of the Department of Population Surveillance and Family Development of the NHC; Ms. Liu Juan, deputy director general of the Department of Benefits Security of the National Healthcare Security Administration (NHSA); and Ms. Liu Hongmei, director general of the Department of Female Employees of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU).

Now, I'll give the floor to Ms. Guo for her introduction.

Guo Yanhong:

Ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon. Recently, the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council released a plan for the implementation of the child care subsidy system. First, I will briefly introduce the situation regarding this program.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has made a series of major strategic plans on population development. The Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee made special arrangements to improve the systems for supporting population development and providing related services. The priorities included refining the policy system and incentive mechanisms for boosting the birth rate, building a childbirth-friendly society, and introducing a system of childbirth subsidies. In addition, the 2025 Government Work Report clearly proposed providing child care subsidies.

Faithfully implementing the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, the NHC and the MOF conducted extensive research and in-depth discussions, summarized the experiences of local child care subsidy programs, fully solicited opinions from all parties, comprehensively considered China's national conditions, development stage and fiscal capacity, as well as international practices, and finally proposed a plan for the child care subsidy system. Recently, the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council have released a child care subsidy system implementation plan. 

The child care subsidy system is a brand new public policy that is important to millions of families. According to the implementation plan, the child care subsidy system takes effect from Jan. 1, 2025, offering subsidies for all children under the age of 3 by that date who are in compliance with relevant laws and regulations, until they reach the age of 3. The child care subsidy is issued annually, with a standard of 3,600 yuan per year for each child. It can be applied for online through the child care subsidy information management system, by one of the child's parents or guardians, while offline channels are also available. The subsidy will be transferred to the bank card or other financial account of the applicant or child. The subsidy, when issued in line with relevant regulations, will be exempt from individual income tax and will not be counted as household or individual income when determining the assistance recipients, such as those receiving subsistence allowances or classified as living in extreme hardship.

The child care subsidy marks the first large-scale, universal and direct cash assistance program aimed at enhancing public well-being ever implemented nationwide since the founding of the People's Republic of China. It is a major measure to benefit the people and improve their lives. The implementation of the child care subsidy system reflects the following four principles:

First, the system aims to improve people's livelihoods and benefit the people. The child care subsidy focuses on issues people care about most and that concern their most immediate and most realistic interests. It delivers real and tangible benefits to help reduce the child care burden of families and is a concrete practice of implementing the people-centered concept and investing in people. More efforts should be made to ensure and improve people's livelihoods through development, allowing people a greater sense of gain.

Second, the system is being implemented in a coordinated way to ensure fairness. The child care subsidy achieves comprehensive coverage of family support under the three-child policy, ensuring that all eligible children can equally benefit from the program, regardless of whether they live in urban or rural areas, their ethnicity, region, or if they are the first, second or third child in the family.

Third, the system is being implemented within our capacity. As a major developing country, China is still in the primary stage of socialism. The child care subsidy system takes into account China's population development and socioeconomic development, setting a reasonable scope and standard for the subsidy to ensure financial affordability and policy sustainability. After all, in order to make steady and sustained progress, one must do everything within their capacity.

Fourth, the system must be reliable, well-regulated, easy and practicable. We have reduced the documents required for child care subsidy applications as much as possible, and streamlined the application process to improve efficiency and help the public. Through a unified national information system, the subsidy can be applied for online by both registered local residents and migrant population, with the need for only one application process. Of course, while promoting the main online application channel, we also offer in-person services. At the same time, we are conducting strict eligibility reviews and strengthening performance management to ensure fund safety, bringing tangible benefits to the people.

Members of the media, ladies and gentlemen, in October last year, the General Office of the State Council issued 13 targeted measures across four areas to improve the policy system to support childbirth in China and promote the construction of a childbirth-friendly society. All localities and relevant authorities have focused on promoting child-rearing support and have made positive progress. Looking ahead, we will work with relevant departments to implement a package of new birth support policies to achieve practical results and better address the concerns and expectations of the public regarding child care. Today, we are holding this press conference together with colleagues from the MOF, the NHSA and the ACFTU to brief you on the child care subsidy system and childbirth support measures, and to answer your questions.

Thank you.

Zhou Jianshe:

Thank you, Ms. Guo, for your introduction. The floor is now open for questions. Please identify your news organization before asking your question.