China's nationwide childcare subsidy program opens for applications

A Chinese health spokesperson announced on Monday that the country's nationwide childcare subsidy program is now open for applications.

Hu Qiangqiang, a spokesperson for the National Health Commission, stated at a press conference that the public can now apply through multiple online platforms, including Alipay and WeChat, as well as through offline channels. 

China introduced the nationwide subsidy program in July, which will take effect on January 1, 2025, and is expected to benefit more than 20 million families annually as part of the country's efforts to support families and encourage childbirth.

The program will provide families with 3,600 yuan (about $507) per year for each child under the age of three.

The Ministry of Finance later announced that the central budget will allocate 90 billion yuan this year to support the issuance of these subsidies.

 As one of the world's most populous countries, China faces a dual demographic challenge: a declining number of newborns and a rapidly aging population.

The country's birth rate and total number of newborns had fallen for seven consecutive years before a modest rebound in 2024. Meanwhile, China's population aged 60 and above reached 310 million by the end of last year.

In response, China has gradually relaxed its family planning policies over the past decade, ending the one-child policy by permitting married couples to have two children in 2016, and announcing support for married couples wishing to have a third child in 2021. 

Several local governments, including those in Hohhot, the capital of northern China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and Shenyang, the capital of northeastern China's Liaoning Province, have piloted programs in recent years to subsidize families with young children. The nationwide policy to provide childcare subsidies was included for the first time in the annual government work report in March 2025.

(Cover: An image shows China's nationwide childcare subsidy. /VCG)