China Expands Childcare and Preschool Support, Benefiting Tens of Millions of Children

Dragon Media News Desk

China has expanded financial support for families with young children, with tens of millions of children benefiting from childcare subsidies and fee waivers for preschool education.

Wang Xinxiang, director of the Budget Department of China’s Ministry of Finance, said at a press conference on Friday that about 24 million children enrolled in kindergartens across the country have benefited from a policy waiving childcare and education fees for the final year of preschool.

China began implementing the fee-waiver policy in the autumn semester of 2025. Under the arrangement, eligible children in public kindergartens are exempted from childcare and education fees during their final preschool year, while children attending approved private kindergartens may also receive support based on local public kindergarten standards.

Wang also said that more than 25 million infants and toddlers have received childcare subsidies for 2026. China launched a nationwide childcare subsidy programme in 2025, providing an annual tax-free payment of 3,600 yuan for each eligible child under the age of three, equivalent to 300 yuan per month.

Chinese authorities have previously said that more than 25.16 million children had received the subsidy this year. The central government has allocated 99.9 billion yuan for the programme in 2026, while combined central and local government spending is expected to reach around 110 billion yuan.

Alongside direct financial assistance, China is also expanding childcare services, preschool education, maternal and child healthcare, housing support and other family-friendly public services. Plans have been announced to create an additional 150,000 affordable childcare places nationwide this year and improve the ability of primary healthcare institutions to treat common childhood illnesses.

The measures come as China faces long-term demographic challenges, including declining birth rates and a rapidly aging population. Reducing the financial and social costs of raising children has therefore become an increasingly important policy priority.

China’s 15th Five-Year Plan for 2026–2030 also places greater emphasis on building a birth-friendly society, expanding childcare services, reducing education costs and strengthening direct support for families.

Chinese authorities view the childcare subsidy and preschool fee-waiver programmes as part of a broader package aimed at easing the immediate financial burden on families while creating a more supportive environment for childbirth and childrearing.