District upgrades its 'Baby House' initiative

Jing'an, the first Shanghai district to pilot community-based "Baby Houses" for toddlers, has rolled out an ambitious "Baby House 4.0" upgrade as part of its "2025–2027 Early Childhood Care Action Plan."

Issued by the district's education and health authorities, the plan outlines six major initiatives aimed at tackling the childcare challenges families face. The initiatives focus on building an integrated "care-education-health" service system with professional support at its core.

When Jing'an launched the first "Baby House" in early 2022, it was designed to meet the urgent short-term care needs of working parents, providing a safe place for toddlers aged 1 to 3 for one or two hours while parents were busy elsewhere.

However, follow-up research revealed that families' needs were evolving. "As parents joined "Baby House" activities, they began asking for more than just basic care," said Yu Wenjun, Party secretary of the Working Committee of Jing'an Education Bureau. "They wanted structured programs, expert guidance, and more holistic support – prompting a shift from 'Baby House 1.0' to the more advanced 4.0 model."

The new version emphasizes professional training and personalized services. Moving beyond standardized coverage, "Baby House 4.0" aims to deliver tailored early education and integrate caregiving with scientific parenting methods. Infants and toddlers will receive developmental stimulation through play-based learning, all within a 15-minute walk from home – creating what officials call a "15-minute childcare circle."

Jing'an is also promoting integrated childcare-kindergarten models, addressing growing demand for full-day care for children aged 2 to 3. Starting this September, all public and private kindergartens in Jing'an will offer toddler classes for such children, providing over 3,000 care slots, and launching pilot programs for those under 2.

"Our goal is to make Jing'an one of the most child-friendly places in the city – not just supportive of childbirth, but of childrearing too," said Yu. The district also plans to extend services into office buildings in commercial areas such as Jing'an Temple and Suhewan to better serve working parents.