Will 'National Child-Rearing from 0 to 6' Extend to 18? Executive Yuan: Studying 5 Aspects to Perfect Plan
Taiwan's Executive Yuan is considering extending the 'National Child-Rearing from 0 to 6' policy to cover ages up to 18, as part of a new growth plan to counter the severe declining birthrate. The plan focuses on five aspects, including housing and workplace support, to assist families with children.
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- 📰 Published: May 2, 2026 at 13:25
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Taipei, May 2 (CNA) — The issue of declining birthrates is severe, and public attention is focused on whether the "National Child-Rearing from 0 to 6" policy will be extended to cover ages up to 18. Executive Yuan officials stated today that the government continues to plan a new growth program centered on "encouraging births, accompanying parenting, and supporting education." Additionally, it aims to provide necessary support for families with children from five aspects, including housing and the workplace. The policy is currently under discussion.
As of the end of March this year, Taiwan's population has experienced negative growth for 27 consecutive months, making the low birthrate issue a matter of great concern. National Development Council Minister Kung Ming-hsin previously stated in the Legislative Yuan that the presidential office and Executive Yuan would soon announce a major policy to alleviate the burden on families raising children. This includes the possibility of expanding the scope of the "National Child-Rearing from 0 to 6" policy, and even extending the applicable age.
Today, the Liberty Times reported that President Lai Ching-te will announce the expansion of the "National Child-Rearing from 0 to 6" policy to ages up to 18, and also promote various measures such as additional temporary care leave, on May 20, the second anniversary of his inauguration.
Executive Yuan officials stated that the government continues to plan a new growth program for fertility, parenting, and education, centered on "encouraging births, accompanying parenting, and supporting education." According to the currently announced "Low Birthrate Countermeasures Plan 2.0," in addition to birth, parenting, and education, the government will also address five major aspects, including housing and the workplace, to provide necessary support for families with children.
This official emphasized that the government will next propose effective policies to further reduce the economic, time, and caregiving pressures on families raising children, and expand the promotion of corporate childcare measures to enhance the accessibility of workplace childcare, making the low birthrate countermeasures plan more comprehensive and perfect.
Regarding whether the applicable age for the "National Child-Rearing from 0 to 6" policy will be extended to 18, Executive Yuan officials stated that no final decision has been made, and how to extend it is still under discussion. As for the timing of the announcement, Executive Yuan officials said that related policies involve broad aspects and are still under consideration.
Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Lu Hsien-te said in an interview that the low birthrate issue is actually a global problem. Finnish research shows that the world's total fertility rate will generally decline in 2025, with India below 2, the United States and France at 1.5, and Finland in Northern Europe also unexpectedly below 1.3. Taiwan's is even lower at only 0.695.
Total Fertility Rate (TFR) refers to the number of children a woman would bear in her lifetime if she were to experience the current age-specific fertility rates and survive throughout her reproductive years. In developed countries or societies with low mortality rates, an average of about 2.1 children per woman is needed to maintain the population at the same level as the previous generation.
Lu Hsien-te said that most countries are already below 2.1, and Taiwan is only 0.695, which shows the severity of the situation.
To cope with the low birthrate, Lu Hsien-te said that universal measures worldwide revolve around four strategies: economic support, childcare services, extended care time, and promotion of gender equality. Therefore, expanding economic support, strengthening public childcare and other parenting services, increasing family care time, and promoting changes in concepts such as gender equality, workplace friendliness, and shared housework are all within the scope of strategic response discussions, but no final decision has been released yet. (Editor: Lin Shu-yuan) 1150502
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As of the end of March this year, Taiwan's population has experienced negative growth for 27 consecutive months, making the low birthrate issue a matter of great concern. National Development Council Minister Kung Ming-hsin previously stated in the Legislative Yuan that the presidential office and Executive Yuan would soon announce a major policy to alleviate the burden on families raising children. This includes the possibility of expanding the scope of the "National Child-Rearing from 0 to 6" policy, and even extending the applicable age.
Today, the Liberty Times reported that President Lai Ching-te will announce the expansion of the "National Child-Rearing from 0 to 6" policy to ages up to 18, and also promote various measures such as additional temporary care leave, on May 20, the second anniversary of his inauguration.
Executive Yuan officials stated that the government continues to plan a new growth program for fertility, parenting, and education, centered on "encouraging births, accompanying parenting, and supporting education." According to the currently announced "Low Birthrate Countermeasures Plan 2.0," in addition to birth, parenting, and education, the government will also address five major aspects, including housing and the workplace, to provide necessary support for families with children.
This official emphasized that the government will next propose effective policies to further reduce the economic, time, and caregiving pressures on families raising children, and expand the promotion of corporate childcare measures to enhance the accessibility of workplace childcare, making the low birthrate countermeasures plan more comprehensive and perfect.
Regarding whether the applicable age for the "National Child-Rearing from 0 to 6" policy will be extended to 18, Executive Yuan officials stated that no final decision has been made, and how to extend it is still under discussion. As for the timing of the announcement, Executive Yuan officials said that related policies involve broad aspects and are still under consideration.
Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Lu Hsien-te said in an interview that the low birthrate issue is actually a global problem. Finnish research shows that the world's total fertility rate will generally decline in 2025, with India below 2, the United States and France at 1.5, and Finland in Northern Europe also unexpectedly below 1.3. Taiwan's is even lower at only 0.695.
Total Fertility Rate (TFR) refers to the number of children a woman would bear in her lifetime if she were to experience the current age-specific fertility rates and survive throughout her reproductive years. In developed countries or societies with low mortality rates, an average of about 2.1 children per woman is needed to maintain the population at the same level as the previous generation.
Lu Hsien-te said that most countries are already below 2.1, and Taiwan is only 0.695, which shows the severity of the situation.
To cope with the low birthrate, Lu Hsien-te said that universal measures worldwide revolve around four strategies: economic support, childcare services, extended care time, and promotion of gender equality. Therefore, expanding economic support, strengthening public childcare and other parenting services, increasing family care time, and promoting changes in concepts such as gender equality, workplace friendliness, and shared housework are all within the scope of strategic response discussions, but no final decision has been released yet. (Editor: Lin Shu-yuan) 1150502
Choose to stand with facts, every sponsorship is a force to protect press freedom
Download CNA's "Firsthand News" APP to stay updated with the latest news
The text, images, and audio-visual content on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, publicly transmitted, or utilized without authorization.