China Proposes Landmark Childcare Law to Boost Plummeting Birth Rates

• China introduces its first national Childcare Services Law draft to address declining birth rates and ease family financial burdens.
• The legislation, with 8 chapters and 76 articles, aims to establish a national framework for childcare, focusing on children under three.
• It seeks to standardize services, improve quality, and reduce the cost of early childcare, making society more "fertility-friendly."
• The law also targets issues like uneven quality, staff shortages, and weak oversight in the childcare sector.
• Experts welcome the law but warn it's not enough; additional incentives like subsidies and tax breaks are crucial to reverse the demographic decline.

Why It Matters: China's new childcare law aims to boost birth rates, but experts say more financial incentives are needed.