On December 16, 2023, the 8th International Symposium on Child Development, hosted by the China Development Research Association, was held in Beijing.
Meeting,Wang Pei'an, deputy director of the Population, Resources and Environment Committee of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, former deputy director of the National Health and Family Planning Commission, and member of the party groupDeliver a keynote speech.
The following is the full text of the speech.
On May 5, 2023, the first meeting of the 20th ** Finance and Economics Committee proposed to support Chinese-style modernization with high-quality population development, which is of great practical significance and far-reaching historical significance.
High-quality population development is the high-quality development of the whole life cycle and the whole population, among which the high-quality development of early childhood is the starting point of high-quality population development, and has a fundamental position in the high-quality development of the population in the whole life cycle.
Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the company has attached great importance to early childhood development. **The general secretary has pointed out on many occasions that "children are the future of the motherland and the hope of the nation", "training children well is a strategic task that has a long-term bearing on the long term", and "it is our greatest wish to let children grow up better".
High-quality development in early childhood is an important livelihood issue, and an important part of promoting the construction of a childbirth-friendly society and promoting the long-term balanced development of the population. The just-concluded ** Economic Work Conference also further clarified the need to "accelerate the improvement of the birth support policy system, develop the silver economy, and promote the high-quality development of the population" in the "effectively guarantee and improve people's livelihood", providing an action guide for the high-quality development of early childhood.
1. Fully understand the important role of early childhood development in high-quality population development
High-quality development in early childhood is of great significance for improving fertility levels, improving the quality of the population, enhancing family development capabilities, and promoting the long-term balanced and high-quality development of the population.
First, improving early childhood development policies will help increase fertility levels and promote long-term balanced population development. The high-quality development of early childhood can help reduce the cost of childbirth and parenting education, improve the fertility support policy system, thereby improving the fertility level of families and promoting the long-term balanced development of the population. Data from OECD countries show that countries with sound early childhood development policy systems also have relatively high fertility levels. The more complete the early childhood development services, especially the childcare service system, the lighter the burden of childbearing and parenting on the family, and the greater the probability of the family having another child.
Second, improving early childhood development policies will help improve the quality of the population and promote high-quality population development。High-quality development in early childhood is the basic link to improve the quality of the population, and it is an important starting point for promoting the high-quality development of the population. A large number of empirical studies and early childhood development intervention program practice have shown that the prenatal and infant care (0-3 years) stage plays an important role in human capital investment and skill formation, and has a clear causal link with early childhood capacity development and socioeconomic performance in adulthood. The return on investment in a child is highest in the early years of his or her life. In the early stage of children's development, parents' investment in their children can improve the quality of childbirth and promote high-quality population development from the source.
Third, improving early childhood development policies will help promote the construction of a public service system for early childhood development and enhance the capacity of families to develop. The high-quality development of early childhood involves a basic public service system in all aspects, such as perinatal health care, eugenics, infant and child care services, and early childhood education, which is not only an important part of the birth support policy system, but also a key content of the inclusive childcare service system. A sound early childhood development service system can help reduce the cost of childbirth and parenting education, improve the ability of families to raise children scientifically, and alleviate parenting anxiety.
2. The current situation and challenges of early childhood development in China
At present, China's early childhood development, low fertility rate, and high-quality population development are intertwined, which brings new opportunities and challenges to the high-quality development of early childhood in China.
First, low fertility has an impact on early childhood development。The low fertility rate leads to a decrease in the size of children, which is not conducive to the scale effect of early childhood development to a certain extent, and objectively requires early childhood development to follow the path of high-quality development. I believe that based on China's national conditions, the core essence of high-quality population development is mainly reflected in several aspects, such as moderate fertility level, appropriate population structure, excellent population quality, and reasonable population distribution. At present, under the influence of various comprehensive factors, China's fertility level is at a rare trough in history. Data show that in 2020, China's total fertility rate was 1Around 3, the total fertility rate fell to 1 in 202205 or so. Although different scholars have different understandings of moderate fertility levels, I believe that 1About 8 is an important reference value for China's moderate fertility level. At present, China is experiencing a dual change of population and family, and low fertility rate and small family are intertwined and show a trend of mutual reinforcement. The younger generation's concept of marriage and childbearing is changing, and the trend of smaller family sizes is becoming more and more obvious. In 2020, the average household size in China dropped to 262 people, a decrease of 048 people. Low fertility is an inevitable process of human industrialization and modernization to a certain stage, and it is a demographic phenomenon commonly experienced by all developed countries in the world. From the perspective of international experience, the earlier and more complete the fertility support service system is established, the more complete the country will be in dealing with low fertility, the more abundant the service means, and the comprehensive effect will be relatively obvious. Therefore, for China, which has not yet entered the stage of developed countries but has a low fertility rate, it is more urgent and necessary to accelerate the improvement of the fertility support policy system that contributes to the long-term balanced development of the population.
Second, there are differences in the investment in child rearing and education among different families, which poses risks to the balanced development of early childhood. The family remains the main site of early childhood development in our country. According to a survey by the National Health Commission, 90Fifty-five per cent of infants and toddlers under the age of three are cared for by their parents, grandparents or maternal grandparents, and no more than 10 per cent are cared for by other relatives, nannies, childcare institutions and other non-family members. However, there are significant differences in how families invest in early childhood development. On the one hand, low-income families have a higher proportion of their consumption expenditures on child-rearing and education, which leads to a heavier burden of child-rearing educationOn the other hand, the actual investment of low-income families in child rearing education is significantly lower than that of high-income families, which leads to a widening gap between different income families in child rearing education.
Third, there are significant differences in child development between urban and rural areas, and the problem of early childhood development in rural areas is prominent. Relevant surveys and studies show that the overall early childhood development in rural areas of China lags behind. Up to 1 3 children in rural areas may have developmental delay, the phenomenon of parent-child isolation is prominent, children's "falls" and "burns" and other safety problems are more serious, there is a lack of scientific parenting knowledge, and there is a lack of parental enlightenment education. If targeted intervention is not carried out, it will have an irreversible impact on children's lifelong development, leading to long-term poverty and even the intergenerational transmission of poverty, and affecting the modernization process of poor areas and even the whole country.
Fourth, the development of early childhood development services is still insufficient. The service position is an important place and effective carrier for early childhood development. The China Family Planning Association actively implements the "Sunflower Parent-Child Cottage" project to increase the accessibility of infant care services. In 2023, the China Family Planning Association will further promote the "Sunflower Plan", and has built 103 national-level "Sunflower Parent-Child Cottages", closely focusing on the needs of the masses, guiding local project sites to carry out daily service activities such as parent classes, parent-child activities, and home guidance, and striving to improve the quality and level of eugenics and childcare services. Under the leadership of national project sites, family planning associations around the country have expanded more than 3,000 self-built parent-child huts to help make up for the shortcomings of early childhood development in rural areasIt has popularized the knowledge of scientific parenting and improved the ability of families to raise children scientificallyThe significance of professional infant care was promoted, parents' understanding and trust in childcare institutions were enhanced, and parents' willingness to send childcare was enhancedAt the same time, through innovative services, it provides a variety of childcare services, which are generally welcomed by the masses. Of course, the construction of service positions around the masses is still insufficient, and the overall coverage of the whole country, especially in rural areas, is insufficient, and there is an urgent need to continue to expand.
3. Initiatives to promote high-quality development in early childhood
High-quality development in early childhood is an important cornerstone for promoting high-quality population development and long-term balanced population development. Here are a few initiatives:
First, strengthen economic support. Include early childhood development in basic public services, and increase financial investment in early childhood development. Strengthen support policies such as taxation and housing, promote equity in early childhood education and the supply of high-quality educational resources, and significantly reduce the burden of family childbirth and parenting education. Accelerate the improvement of the housing security system, accelerate the development of affordable rental housing, promote the resolution of housing difficulties for new citizens, young people and other groups, and effectively respond to the problems of family reunion and early education for migrant children. Increase financial support for enterprises that provide maternal and child care, childcare services, related vocational training, and the production of consumer goods.
Second, improve childcare service support. Increase the supply of inclusive childcare services. Expand the functions of community childcare services, improve infant and child care facilities, etc. Support and encourage qualified employers to provide welfare childcare services for employees. Reduce the operating costs of childcare institutions. Improve policies on land, housing, finance, finance, and talent, and encourage local governments to support inclusive childcare institutions. Improve the quality of childcare services. Carry out in-depth activities to create a national model city for infant and child care services, and form a number of typical experiences that can be replicated and promoted.
Third, optimize time support. Optimize the maternity leave system, starting from the functional orientation of protecting employees' reproductive rights and interests and protecting the right to health of employees, reflect the process of protecting childbirth and parenting, such as implementing a flexible work system, etc., to help employees balance work and family relationships, promote fair employment and career development, and optimize parent-child companionship time. Improve the mechanism for sharing the reasonable cost of vacation labor in light of the actual situation, clarify the responsibilities of relevant parties, and take practical and effective measures to ensure the leave benefits of employees.
Fourth, improve family support. Promote family development as a national strategy, and improve the policy system for promoting family development. Vigorously advocate the concept of family development of self-cultivation, filial piety and love for relatives, age-appropriate marriage and childbearing, eugenics, shared responsibility, intergenerational harmony, and family harmony. Research and introduce a policy system conducive to family development, create a cultural atmosphere that promotes family development, and promote family building and family development. Strengthen intergenerational care support systems. Strengthen policy support for intergenerational care. Support care models such as intergenerational care and family mutual assistance. Integrate intergenerational care into family childcare service points. Explore the inclusion of the elderly's participation in infant and child care into housekeeping services, and provide childcare subsidies in the form of meal vouchers, pension subsidies, travel discounts, and free parks. Establish and improve mechanisms for incentive, evaluation, and supervision of the elderly's participation in intergenerational childcare.
Fifth, expand support for service positions. In communities, units, institutions, enterprises, schools and other places, we will vigorously build service positions for early childhood development, and provide more venues for early childhood development. Fully mobilize the strength of the Family Planning Association and other groups to extensively build sunflower parent-child huts to provide more places for parent-child relationship companionship for early childhood development.
Typography - Wise.
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