Deputies propose a 'Baby House' just a 15-minute walk away for everyone
An expat father and his child at an event to celebrate the opening of the 5th "Baby House" in the Jiangning Road Subdistrict in May of 2023.
Shanghai should incorporate the "15-minute community life circle" into child-care services, a local lawmaker suggested during the ongoing session of the Shanghai People's Congress.
It is an ideal for residents to have access to a "Baby House" in the community a 15-minute walk away, Jiang Fan and Cai Jingjing, deputies to the congress, said in a joint proposal.
In October, the Shanghai Education Commission issued a guideline on strengthening community child-care services after the city initiated the citywide "Baby House" pilot program at the beginning of the year that provides temporary and hourly child-care services for children under 3.
However, the limited number of such facilities was unable to meet demand. By the end of 2023, only around 50 "Baby Houses" had been put into operation.
"Better urban planning and more investment should help to increase the number of baby houses and strive to make them exist within the 15-minute life circle of every citizen," the deputies suggested.
They expressed confidence that with the continuous efforts, Shanghai's child-care system will become part of the community life circle, providing more intimate and convenient services while also easing people's burden in child caring and thus increasing their willingness to give birth.
