Tue, Aug 04, 2026 page2

• Most parents back public childcare at every school: survey

  • By Fion Khan / Staff writer, with CNA
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  Nearly 60 percent of parents in Taiwan support establishing public childcare centers in every school, while only 30 percent favor subsidizing private providers, a survey released today by the Childcare Policy Alliance showed.

  The survey, which was conducted from June 29 to July 15 and collected 1,061 responses, examined reactions to campaign pledges such as "public daycare at every school" and subsidies for private childcare start-ups.

  The survey was held after the group observed that some politicians had proposed providing NT$3 million (US$92,487) in start-up subsidies to private childcare operators as a way to ease shortages in public childcare services, alliance spokesman Wang Chao-ching (王兆慶) said.

  

  A woman and three children cross a street in Taipei in an undated photograph.

  Photo: CNA

  Without identifying the politicians behind the proposals, 24 percent of respondents said the "public daycare at every school" policy would significantly increase their support for a candidate, while 35 percent said it would somewhat increase support, bringing total approval to nearly 60 percent, with almost no opposition.

  In contrast, while nearly 30 percent supported start-up subsidies for private childcare providers, 30 percent also expressed clear dissatisfaction with the proposal.

  Respondents were also asked which childcare policy would most increase their support for a candidate running for county commissioner or mayor.

  Support for public childcare expansion was nearly three times higher than those in favor of subsidies for private childcare services, the survey showed.

  About 55 percent supported expanding enrollment capacity at public childcare facilities, including public daycare centers, public preschools and nonprofit childcare providers, while only 18 percent favored subsidies for private childcare.

  Another 27 percent said childcare policies would have little effect on their voting preferences.

  Despite Taiwan's declining birthrate, most respondents still believe public childcare services should be expanded, Wang said.

  Only 5 percent said current capacity should be maintained and 3 percent said it could be reduced, while 53.5 percent supported increasing public childcare slots in areas with waiting lists, the survey showed.

  Another 35.6 percent said underfilled spots in programs for children aged three to six should be converted into capacity for infants and toddlers up to two years old.

  Currently, Taiwan operates a two-stage childcare system, separating zero-to-two-year-olds from three-to-six-year-olds under different administrative agencies, Wang said.

  More than 70 percent of respondents reported feeling frustrated by this division, he said, urging the government to expand public childcare services and consider following South Korea's example by integrating childcare services for children aged up to six into a single system.

  Government resources should prioritize expanding and reallocating public childcare capacity and integrating the childcare system, Awakening Foundation policy department director Lee Ying-hsueh (李盈學) said.

  Cash subsidies should not be treated as a universal solution, as long-term investment in public childcare infrastructure is more important, he said.

  Taiwan Labor Front secretary-general Yang Shu-wei (楊書瑋) warned against relying on quasi-public options, as many parents mistakenly assume that quasi-public centers guarantee high quality.

  Quasi-public childcare centers recorded 49 contraventions of the Labor Standards Act (勞動基準法), while private childcare centers recorded 15 contraventions, he said, citing Ministry of Labor records.

  Subsidizing the private market would incentivize operators to raise prices to absorb government funds, leaving parents with no actual financial relief, he said, urging the government to continue expanding public childcare capacity.
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