The responsibility and action of corporations for the development of 0-3 years old children’s childcare services in China

ABSTRACT

This paper discusses the necessity of promoting national childcare development and establishing corporation childcare within the context of China’s low fertility rate. It emphasizes the significance of traditional Chinese cultural values as foundational elements for promoting corporation childcare initiatives and their growth. It examines the evolving responsibilities of corporations in China’s childcare development amidst varying government policies over time. Given the increasing innovation and responsibility among Chinese corporations. the article categorizes three modes of corporation childcare based on current trends: corporation self-built childcare, collaborative childcare with third parties, and embedded childcare. It advocates for customized childcare services, nurturing the happiness of children, fostering parent-child interactions, building childcare brands, and creating a conducive business environment tailored to each mode. Building these modes, the paper offers recommendations across five dimensions: customizing childcare services, supporting the joyful upbringing of young children, promoting parent-child interaction, branding childcare facilities, fostering a conducive business environment, aiming to establish a comprehensive corporation childcare network. Lastly, the paper explores future development prospects, focusing on promoting the expansion driven by corporation childcare, addressing homogenization among corporation childcare facilities, considering the integration of elderly and childcare to leverage the experience of the elderly and fulfill social responsibilities in elder care.

KEYWORDS:

• China
• childcare for 0-3 years
• corporations childcare model
• action measures for corporations childcare

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. A socialist system with Chinese characteristics: In China, the socialist economic system exhibits unique characteristics when compared to other socialist countries. The country’s socialist market economy is intricately linked with its fundamental socialist principles. As economic reforms have progressed and enterprises have entered the market, there has been a shift away from welfare-based childcare services. This transition has led to the rise of specialized childcare institutions due to the reduction of social welfare functions.

2. Access to childcare: Fairness and quality. Fairness dictates that all children should have equal access to education, while quality entails the provision of high-quality preschool education and family support.

3. Integration between industry and education: The integration of industry and education involves close collaboration between educational institutions and industrial corporations to enhance the quality of talent development.

4. Wisdom childcare service: Refers to a digital and intelligent service system that utilizes digital technologies such as the Internet, big data, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, block chain, virtual reality and other digital technologies to carry out childcare, nurturing and babysitting services.

5. Medical care and education : Refers to the integration of healthcare and education services to promote holistic development in education, prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and other areas. This integration aims to facilitate comprehensive reforms in people’s health and social.

6. Family education: It generally refers to home education, which is the influence and education that children receive at home. The earliest homeschooling focused on teaching children or students using the Poetry and Rituals. Homeschooling can have an impact on a person’s upbringing.

7. Ciyou: Carer of children.

8. Yingerju、 ciyouzhuang 、ciyouju: During the Southern Song Dynasty, various specialized child adoption agencies, though bearing different names, shared similar functions.

9. Corporations teachers: Corporation teachers in this context refer to technical experts from various high-tech corporations within industrial parks who serve as specialized instructors in kindergartens.

10. Two strong, two excellent, and two new :The ‘two strong’ represent the communication equipment manufacturing and software industries, while the ‘two excellent’ denote the integrated circuit design manufacturing and digital TV industries. Finally, the ‘two new’ sectors encompass the animation and network game industries.

11. Restrictive access: In this paper refers to the formulation of policies aimed at limiting enrollment in corporation childcare centers exclusively to in-house employees.

12. One old and one young: ‘One old’ refers to elderly services; ‘One young’ refers to childcare services.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by grants from National Social Science Foundation of China (grant numbers BHA220269), Shandong Province Social Science Planning Research Projects (grant number 21DJYJ04), Qingdao Philosophy and Social Science Planning Project (grant number QDSKL2201106), National Higher Education Science Research Planning Projects of China (grant number22TS0401),Shandong Province Social Science Planning Research Special Projects (grant number 23BFNJ02).

Notes on contributors

ShiYing Wang

Shiying Wang Master’s Degree Candidate, Normal College, Qingdao University.

XinXue Zhu

XinXue Zhu Master’s Degree Candidate, Normal College, Qingdao University.

FanShuai Bu

Fanshuai Bu Ph.D. in Education, Associate Professor at Normal College, Qingdao University, and Master’s Supervisor. Research area: Childcare for 0-3 Years and Corporations Childcare Services.

GenJian Zhang

Genjian Zhang Ph.D. in Education, Professor at School of Education, Shandong Women’s University, and Master’s Supervisor. Research area: Population Policy and Family Education Support in China.