Vice President Lai Ching-te said Nov. 23 that the government is continuing to implement child care policies designed to increase access to services, raise Taiwan’s birth rate and promote sustainable national development.
Low birth rates are an issue of national security, and no effort is being spared to reduce the burden on expecting parents and those with young children, Lai said. To this end, the government is promoting more affordable child care services and increasing parental subsidies, he added.
Lai made the remarks during a ceremony at the Presidential Office in Taipei City held in honor of individuals and organizations providing high-quality child care.
According to Lai, life expectancy in Taiwan continues to increase thanks to a strong economy and a health care system backed by the National Health Insurance system. Consequently, the proportion of the population aged 65 and over has risen to 14 percent, he said.
The increased longevity of Taiwan’s people has been accompanied by a persistent decline in the number of newborns, Lai said, citing an average of less than 200,000 registered births per year since 2017. To address this demographic challenge, President Tsai Ing-wen is placing child care front and center of her policy platform as mentioned during her May 20 inauguration speech, he added.
Lai also took the opportunity to thank attendees on behalf of Tsai for their selfless dedication to the country’s children. Early childhood education is the foundation for lifelong learning, Lai said, adding there’s no greater task than developing Taiwan’s next generation. (SFC-E)
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