Reported 8 months ago
According to the Ministry of the Interior's population statistics, there were 135,000 newborns last year, a decrease from the previous year by 3,415. Despite the government's '0-6 years National Care Together' policy, public childcare facilities are severely lacking, not just in the north but also in the south. In Chiayi City, with only 4 public childcare facilities enrolling 128 children, approximately only 10% of newborns have the opportunity to attend, with parents commenting that getting a spot in public childcare is harder than winning the lottery. Taiwan's declining birth rates pose a national security crisis, as the actual number of newborns last year fell below the estimates by the National Development Council, setting a new low for four consecutive years. The article also discusses the late start of public childcare facilities, especially in Chiayi City where the situation is particularly problematic.
Source: YAHOO