Small acts, big relief for working parents

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For many working parents, the school bell rings long before the workday ends. Those in-between hours have been burdens for many families.

Across China, communities are finding creative ways to bridge the gap.

In Qinhuangdao, Hebei Province, a community has teamed up with local universities to launch a "4 o'clock classroom," where college volunteers help children with homework, play games and share stories. In Taizhou, unused office space has been turned into a lively after-school activity center for kids to wait safely for their parents.

From Beijing and Shanghai to Jinan and beyond, more and more Chinese cities are upgrading community services to help parents breathe a bit easier.

A local community in Hefei, Anhui Province, held a parent-child activity to celebrate Children's Day on May 30, 2026. /VCG

Volunteers read books with children after school at a local community center in Meishan City, southwest China's Sichuan Province. /VCG

College student volunteers play Chinese chess with children at "4 o'clock classroom," a community after-school activity center in Qinhuangdao, Hebei Province. /VCG

At a community after-school activity center in Qinhuangdao, Hebei Province, college student volunteers and children jump rope together. /VCG

Children read books at a community activity center in Lianyungang, a coastal city in east China's Jiangsu Province. /VCG

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