Shanghai plans to extend child care services to younger children, aiming to establish a seamless continuum of care from infancy to pre-primary school within single institutions, according to a document released by the city government on Tuesday.

2024年12月31日，上海市政府发布《上海市加快完善生育支持政策体系推动建设生育友好型社会的若干措施》（以下简称《上海若干措施》），计划将育幼服务范围扩大至更小年龄段的儿童，旨在实现婴幼儿至学龄前儿童在同一机构内无缝衔接的照护服务。

The city will require synchronized planning, construction and delivery of child care facilities alongside new residential compounds to help working parents balance career responsibilities and child care duties with greater confidence.

为帮助职场父母更有信心地平衡职业责任与育儿责任，上海将要求新建住宅区同步规划、建设与交付托育服务设施。

The initiatives were outlined in the document as part of efforts to improve early childhood care services and promote a more fertility-friendly environment. The measures align with national directives issued in October, which aim to address societal concerns and create a conducive environment for more young people to consider parenthood.

该文件概述的多项举措旨在改善婴幼儿照护服务，并营造更加生育友好的环境。这与国家10月发布的《关于加快完善生育支持政策体系推动建设生育友好型社会的若干措施》相一致，该文件旨在解决社会关切，为更多年轻人考虑为人父母创造有利环境。

To provide inclusive and diverse child care services, the document also encourages industrial parks and employers to offer child care services for children under 3 years old at rates below market prices.

为提供包容且多样化的儿童照护服务，该文件还鼓励产业园区和用人单位以低于市场价格的标准提供3岁以下儿童照护服务。

Shanghai has set a target for 85 percent of kindergartens, including government-run ones, to offer child care services for children under 3 by the end of 2025. The city also plans to further develop affordable child care services, enhance the quality of baobaowu—government-run playgrounds for toddlers in each subdistrict—and expand free caregiving services for families in need. Additionally, colleges and vocational schools will be encouraged to establish child care-related programs to nurture professional talent in the field.

上海已设定目标，到2025年底，包括公办在内的85%的幼儿园将提供3岁以下儿童照护服务。该市还计划进一步发展普惠性托育服务，提升“宝宝屋（各街道公办婴幼儿照护机构）”服务质量，为有需求的幼儿家庭提供更多免费照护服务。此外，还将鼓励普通高等学校和职业院校开设托育服务相关专业，培养专业人才。

Surveys conducted across China have identified the lack of child care support and challenges in accessing child care facilities for children under 3 as significant factors deterring young people from starting families. Economic pressures and the demands of child-rearing are also contributing to the issue.

中国各地的调查显示，3岁以下儿童缺乏照护支持、获取照护设施困难，是阻碍年轻人组建家庭的重要因素。经济压力和育儿需求也加剧了这一问题。

China's fertility rate has been declining in recent years, dropping from 1.58 births per woman in 2017 to approximately 1 per woman in 2023. The year 2023 also marked the second consecutive year the country recorded negative population growth.

近年来，中国的生育率持续下降，从2017年的每名妇女1.58个孩子下降到2023年的每名妇女约1个孩子。2023年也是中国连续第二年出现人口负增长。

Shanghai has seen a sharp decline in births among its permanent residents, with 98,000 births recorded in 2023, compared to 218,400 in 2016.

上海的常住人口出生率也大幅下降，2023年出生人数为9.8万人，而2016年为21.84万人。

To address these trends, the Shanghai document proposes implementing differentiated housing policies for families with two or more children and fostering fertility-friendly employment models. Eligible families with more than one child will be prioritized in the city's housing support system, allowing them to move up in the queue and choose larger apartments when applying for affordable housing.

为应对这些趋势，《上海若干措施》提出，对多子女家庭实施差异化住房政策，并构建生育友好就业模式。符合条件的多子女家庭将在上海的住房保障系统中享有优先权，在申请保障性住房时能够提前排队并选择更大的公寓。

Another focus is on addressing the accommodation needs of young adults and increasing the supply of affordable rental homes.

另一重点是解决青年群体住房需求，并增加保障性租赁住房供给。

In December, Shanghai introduced a policy encouraging employers to create "parent-friendly job posts" with flexible working hours and arrangements to help employees balance work and family responsibilities. Sectors such as manufacturing, hospitality, food services, housekeeping and emerging industries in the digital, cultural and creative sectors are receiving support to pilot these initiatives.

12月，上海出台《关于开展“生育友好岗”就业模式试点工作的通知》，鼓励用人单位设立“生育友好岗”，提供弹性工作时间和安排，以帮助员工平衡工作与家庭责任。重点引导生产制造、住宿餐饮、居民服务及数字经济、文创经济等新兴行业试点推行这些举措。

Some parents believe more accessible child-related services in education and healthcare could alleviate people's fears about having children.

一些家长认为，在教育和医疗方面提供更加便捷的儿童服务可以减轻人们对生育的恐惧。

Zhao Jing, a 35-year-old mother of a 5-year-old girl in Shanghai's Changning district, noted that by the end of 2023, pediatric departments had opened in all 10 subdistrict community health service centers in the district. However, at the Xinhua Subdistrict Center, which is closest to her home, pediatric services are available only half a day per week.

35岁的赵静是上海市长宁区一名5岁女孩的母亲，她注意到，到2023年底，该区10个街道的社区卫生服务中心都已开设儿科。然而，离她家最近的新华街道社区卫生服务中心每周仅开放半天的儿科服务。

"We hope such medical services can become more accessible, along with a wider variety of medicines suitable for children," said Zhao.

“我们希望这样的医疗服务能够更加便利，并提供更多适合儿童的药品，”赵静说。

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