Starting from January 1, 2025, China will implement a major welfare policy that benefits many families - providing child-rearing subsidies for infants and toddlers under the age of three. The introduction of this policy marks a substantive step forward for China in improving its fertility support system, aiming to alleviate the burden of raising children on families through economic means, encourage childbearing at the appropriate age, and promote long-term balanced population development.
1. Subsidy objects: Cover all infants and young children who meet the provisions
The most striking feature of the new policy is its full covering. According to the regulation, the subsidy is for children under the age of three who have been born in accordance with laws and regulations from January 1, 2025, regardless of whether they are a first, second or third child, they can enjoy the benefit.
Subsidy recipients must have the nationality of the People's Republic of China, which is the only explicit nationality requirement. This means that regardless of the family's place of household registration, the parents' occupation or income status, if the child meets the age and nationality requirements, they are eligible to apply. It is particularly worth mentioning that the policy imposes no restrictions on family structure - whether it is a two-parent family, a single-parent family, or a family relationship established through adoption, if the parents or guardians meet the conditions, they can apply for subsidies for their children.
II Subsidy standards: The national basic standards are clear, and local governments can adjust them appropriately
In terms of the subsidy amount, the policy sets a clear national base standard: 3,600 yuan per child per year, or about 300 yuan per month. For babies born on or after January 1, 2025, they can apply for subsidies for three consecutive years, totaling 10,800 yuan. For infants and children born before the implementation of the policy, but under the age of three, the number of subsidies will be converted according to the actual number of months under the age of three to ensure fairness and reasonability.
This childcare subsidy is exempt from personal income tax and has real value in family economic accounting. At the same time, when applying for social assistance such as minimum living security and assistance for people in extreme poverty, childcare subsidies are not included in family or individual income, avoiding undue influence on assistance eligibility. This detailed design fully reflects the humanized consideration of the policy and ensures that the families who really need help can get the social assistance they deserve.
III Eligibility for application: The family is the unit, and the scope of the guardian is clear
The childcare subsidy is applied by the family unit, and the family determines one claimant. First consider the biological or adoptive parents of the infant; In the case of parents' divorce, the party with the right of custody shall apply for it; If both parents are missing as guardians, other legal guardians will apply for it. This arrangement ensures that the subsidies are used for the care of infants and young children.
IV Application process: Combination of online and offline, convenient operation
To apply for childcare subsidies, three key types of information need to be provided: the basic information of the baby (including name, certificate number, date of birth, etc.), the basic information of the claimant (including the relationship with the baby, etc.), and the information of the collection account. The collection of this information ensures both the accuracy of the subsidy disbursement and the privacy of the family.
The application channel design fully considers the convenience needs of modern families: mainly online application, applicants can complete the application through Alipay, WeChat platform "child subsidy" mini program, or the government service platform of the province where the infant's household registration is located and complete the application in the "child subsidy information management system”. For those who are not familiar with online operations, they can also choose to apply offline and go to the town government (subdistrict office) where the infant's household registration is located. This combination of online and offline approaches ensures that different groups can conveniently enjoy policy benefits.
V Implementation Preparation: All localities are actively preparing, and the application is expected to open in late August
At present, all localities are working hard to formulate specific implementation plans for the childcare subsidy system and actively do a good job in preparation for system development and personnel training. According to official information, it is expected that local governments will be able to apply for childcare subsidies in late August 2025. This means that the policy will be retroactive from January 1, 2025, but the application channel will not officially open until late August.
It is recommended to pay close attention to the official notices of local health departments, medical insurance departments or government service platforms, and timely understand the local specific implementation rules and application opening hours. It is particularly important to know the local rules, as localities may adjust or supplement the basic national standards. The infant and childcare subsidy policy is one of the important measures to build a birth-friendly society in our country. Through direct financial subsidies, the policy will effectively reduce the economic pressure on families to raise infants and young children, especially for families with many children and low - and middle-income families, which will bring tangible help.
