Tainan opens new public childcare center in Baihe District

Tainan City's Baihe District has inaugurated its first public childcare center, the Yong'an Public Childcare Center, which officially began accepting children aged 0 to 2 years on August 1. Located on the third floor of the new Baihe District Public Office building, the center is the 19th public childcare facility in Tainan and the first in Baihe District, significantly boosting local childcare capacity and support services for families.

Mayor Huang Wei-che and Social Affairs Bureau Director Guo Nai-wen attended the opening ceremony, highlighting the city's commitment to providing affordable and high-quality public childcare. The Yong'an center can care for 16 infants and toddlers, aiming to help parents balance work and family responsibilities. The monthly fee for childcare is set at NT$9,000 per child, intended to alleviate the economic burden on families and allow parents to work with peace of mind. Mayor Huang stated that the city government will continue to enhance public childcare services, ensuring a seamless transition for children from 0 to 6 years across childcare and education.

The center will be managed by the Hope Seed Children and Adolescents Growth Association, which also operates two other public childcare facilities in Tainan. This expansion is part of a broader initiative by Tainan City to increase public childcare options. Currently, there are 15,772 children aged 0 to under 2 in Tainan. Mayor Huang's administration has planned for the construction of 49 public childcare institutions, which, upon completion, are expected to provide daytime care for over 1,500 infants and toddlers.

The Yong'an center is the sixth public-private partnership childcare center in Tainan. The city plans to establish six more such centers in various districts this year. In addition to these institutions, Tainan offers other childcare support services, including temporary and nighttime care, in-home parenting guidance, and postpartum support platforms. The city already operates 13 Parent-Child Play Centers and one Children's Museum, complementing its network of 19 public childcare institutions.