166 Public Sector Childcare Facilities: Premier Cho Jung-tai Aims to Lead in Family-Friendly Workplaces

(Central News Agency, reporter Chen Zhizhong, Taipei, June 9) Premier Cho Jung-tai of the Executive Yuan visited the staff children's kindergarten at the Xinzhuang Joint Office Building today, commending the public sector for successively establishing 166 childcare facilities to assist employees with nearby childcare, becoming a leader in creating a family-friendly workplace.

Premier Cho, along with Minister of Education Cheng Ying-yao, toured the "Non-Profit Kindergarten for Children of Employees of Agencies in the Executive Yuan Xinzhuang Joint Office Building" to understand the effectiveness of the childcare facilities. The kindergarten has a 100% enrollment rate and, through public-private partnership, enables employees to balance work and childcare.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Education, 15 ministries and commissions have currently established 166 non-profit kindergartens for employees' children or workplace childcare service centers. Collaborating with non-profit organizations, these facilities provide approximately 9,700 slots, prioritizing the enrollment of employees' children, with monthly parental fees not exceeding NT$2,000.

Premier Cho stated that this policy not only substantially reduces the burden on parents but also helps employees with nearby childcare and convenient pick-up and drop-off. He emphasized that the public sector should become a leader in creating a family-friendly workplace and will expand childcare services in government agencies and state-owned enterprises in the future.

The Ministry of Education stated that since President Lai Ching-te took office, through the four major strategies of "increasing subsidies, reducing burdens, enhancing flexibility, and expanding care," including the recently announced NT$5,000 monthly growth fund for children aged 0 to 18, these policies are all aimed at comprehensively building a family support system, serving as a solid foundation for the people to confidently have and raise children. (Editor: Guan Zhongwei) 1150609