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

China News Service:

In addition to the childcare subsidy program, what other measures have the MOF taken in recent years to build a birth support policy system? Thank you.

Guo Yang:

Thank you for your question. I will answer this one. In recent years, in accordance with the relevant decisions and deployments of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, the MOF has actively played its functional role in formulating and carrying out a series of birth support policy measures with relevant departments, with a focus on the entire childbirth chain and the full life cycle, to strengthen support in births, parenting and education, medical care and housing, striving to foster a social environment that is friendly to having children.

First, we have worked to improve services to ensure good prenatal and postnatal care. Through basic public health service subsidy funds, we support providing health management, postpartum visits and newborn care guidance for expectant and new mothers, and providing services such as supplementary taking of folic acid and examinations for healthy childbirth for rural women, with 5.52 billion yuan allocated for 2025. Through birth defect intervention and assistance project funds, we support the implementation of birth defect detection, rescue , and prevention publicity, with 370 million yuan allocated for 2025.

Second, we have supported the development of maternal and child health care. Through major public health service subsidy funds, we support free immunization programs for eligible children and the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of diseases such as hepatitis B, with 5.22 billion yuan allocated for 2025. Through medical service and security capacity enhancement subsidy funds, we support the improvement of pediatric medical service capabilities, critical maternal and newborn diagnosis and treatment capabilities, and strengthen the training of urgently needed personnel such as pediatricians and grassroots obstetricians, with 1.11 billion yuan allocated for 2025. We support improving basic medical security system, with the per capita financial subsidy standard for urban and rural residents' medical insurance increased to 700 yuan in 2025.

Third, we have worked to establish an inclusive childcare service system that benefits all families. Since 2023, we have worked with the NHC to implement a demonstration project to enhance inclusive childcare services for universal benefit, with a total of 3 billion yuan spent by the central government. At the same time, through employment subsidy funds, we support local governments in conducting vocational skills training for infant and toddler care service personnel, including kindergarten workers and childcare workers. We provide tax and fee incentives in terms of income tax, value-added tax and deed tax for working parents as well as their employers and community childcare service institutions.

In addition, the MOF also supports the expansion and improvement of educational resources through relevant transfer payment funds in the field of education; and supports local governments in supporting eligible families with multiple children to purchase homes through subsidies for urban affordable housing projects.

Going forward, the MOF will continue to implement investment policies, strengthen funding guarantees, cooperate with relevant departments to enhance the policy system for birth support, and foster a social atmosphere that is friendly to having children. Thank you.