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Groups laud new childcare policy

"The traditional attitudes toward young kids is, `see that they don't get into trouble.' But a properly trained care provider aids the child's verbal and physical development through structured play and exercises."

Chang Sy-ning, childcare and development professor at Hung-kuang University

A number of groups yesterday pledged support to a new policy announced by the Executive Yuan to subsidize childcare by certified nannies for children under the age of two.

"We think that this will be a step forward, both for working families and for the healthy development of certified nanny programs in this country," Alliance for Integrated Childcare Policy convener Liu Yu-hsiu (劉毓秀) told a news conference.

Also in agreement with the program is Roscher Lin (林秉彬), chairman of the National Association of Small and Medium Enterprises. Lin is on record as being a vociferous opponent of maternity leave. But unlike that policy, subsidizing childcare will encourage women to return to work more quickly, he said.

"Unlike the unworkable maternity leave policy, this benefit will help businesses," Lin said.

The Executive Yuan announced on Wednesday that a monthly benefit of NT$3,000 per infant will be given to families who qualify for the scheme to go toward the cost of leaving the child with a certified nanny while both parents work. In addition, families earning more than NT$1.5 million a year are excluded from the scheme.

Single parents are also eligible for the benefit as long as they are working. Even those who work from home are eligible as long as they pay taxes on their work-derived income. Supporters of the scheme say that working families and the nation's flagging birth rate will benefit. Last year, according to Ministry of the Interior figures, women in this country give birth to 1.12 children on average.

However, the benefit will only cover roughly one-fifth of the NT$15,000 that is the estimated minimum monthly cost of leaving an infant in a certified nanny's care. Families who chose institutional daycare centers or to ask relatives to look after the infant will not be eligible for the benefit, prompting some parents to ask if the benefit will really help them.

"We decided to support certified nannies over daycare centers because they are better able to focus on the infants," said Chang Sy-ning (張思寧), a childcare and development professor at Hung-kuang University, who had been consulted by the Executive Yuan while formulating the policy.

However, the policy does not necessarily cheer up all parents.

Mr Yang (楊), a father of a young daughter, was dismayed that his family would not qualify for the benefit because his mother, not a professional nanny, takes care of his daughter.

"This is an unfair rule that excludes too many families," he told the Taipei Times while not wanting to be fully identified. "I don't believe nannies can provide better care for the kids than their own grandparents."

Chang disagreed.

"The traditional attitudes toward young kids is, `see that they don't get into trouble.' But a properly trained care provider aids the child's verbal and physical development through structured play and exercises," she said.
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