Preschool centers easing second-child anxiety

Growing demand

Statistics show that around 80 percent of child care in China is provided by family members, primarily parents and grandparents, who often feel overburdened. As a result, there is huge demand for professional services.

Lyu discovered the child care center in her community when her son was 13 months old.

"It accepts children ages 6 months to 3 years, which fits my needs," she said. In China, most kindergartens only receive children age 3 months or older.

The child care center, called MEYOU Baby Educare, was founded by Gu Qi, a mother of two. The 34-year-old said she started the facility as a way of solving her own child care problem.

Gu resigned from her job in 2014, after giving birth to her oldest son. Three years later, she had a second boy, but became frustrated by looking after two children on her own.

She was also disappointed with the quality of teaching and the environments at nearby kindergartens, so she decided to establish a child care center in her community.

The center opened on June 1 last year, boasting child-friendly facilities and a big yard where the children can enjoy a range of outdoor activities.

It provides services to 25 children, with the youngest being 8 months old. Lyu's 2-year-old son is among them.

"My son's safety and health are my principal concerns when choosing a day care center," she said.

According to Gu, the center has recruited university graduates and nursing majors as teachers to provide professional care for the babies, while cameras have been installed so parents can see their children at any time via a smartphone app.

"The center has helped ease the pressure on me, and has also gained the trust of mothers like me," said Lyu, who is expecting her second child.

The facility has also provided a number of welcome surprises.

"I used to worry about my son's lack of discipline, but surprisingly, he has developed good habits," Lyu said. "After attending the center for about a month, he developed good habits, such as washing his hands before meals and taking a nap at noon. He has also made friends there."

Early childhood education is also in high demand in the northwestern province of Gansu.

Li Xiang runs an early education center in a residential building in Lanzhou, the provincial capital. The center has around 20 children ages 1 to 3, and most of them are their family's second child.

Li said the center, which was established in June last year, originally focused on early childhood education, but since parents asked if she could provide extra services, the facility now also provides child care daily.

The parents send their children to the center at 8:30 am and pick them up at 5:30 pm.

"Providing child care services not only helps busy parents, but also allows the children to adapt to a new environment, improves their character and assists in the development of good habits," Li said.