Gao Xiaomei, a member of the CPPCC National Committee, delivers a speech at the event on improving nursing and day care services for infants. [Photo/Xinhua]

The third plenary meeting of the second session of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference was held on March 10, 2019 at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. 

On behalf of the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang, Gao Xiaomei, a member of the CPPCC National Committee, delivered a speech at the event on improving nursing and day care services for infants. 

Child rearing is one of the topics regarding people's livelihood included in the report of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, and social support for parenting of children under three years old is of major public concern. 

The National Development and Reform Commission and 17 other departments have issued a document on improving non-fundamental public services. One of them is child rearing.

There are many problems in this field, such as undefined responsibilities of relevant departments, inability to set expenditure budgets, and the lack of preferential policies, standards and regulations, according to Gao. 

In response to these problems, Gao suggested that infant nursing and day care should be integrated into the basic public service system. Surveys show that difficulty in finding caretakers for children under three years old is an important reason why many young couples do not want to have babies. It has also restricted the implementation of the universal second-child policy in China. 

Most countries with the current level of China's economic development have begun to build a lifelong public service system from childhood to old age. At present, China's old-age service system has been established and the group under three years old should also be included in the scope of national public service support. 

Efforts should be made to gradually build a child rearing system that is in line with the level of China's economic and social development and is supported by reasonable financial policies like family child rearing tax deductions and financial subsidies for intergenerational parenting. Research should provide comprehensive support. 

Gao said China faces a shortage of good day care facilities for infants, as well as professional services and qualified caretakers. "We can learn from experiences abroad and accelerate research to build an agency in charge of infant services," she said.

"The government should also intensify support and guidance for the establishment of a day care service system, and more measures should be rolled out to encourage individuals, enterprises and communities to develop and provide related multilevel services and to meet different needs of parents," she added.

Another focus is to strengthen the training of caretakers in infant care services, and to enhance standards and regulation of such services. Also, all types of nurseries and day care centers should be given equal access to preferential policies, resources and financial support.