Don't Just Use Money to Encourage Child Birth: CPA 全國催生團體: 別只想靠發錢鼓勵生育

The local elections are less than two months away. Childcare policy organizations jointly held a press conference on Sept. 15, calling on magistrate and mayoral candidates to set up education and care policies for 0 to 12 year olds. 

Civil groups jointly held a press conference, calling on the magistrate and mayoral candidates for 22 counties and cities to set a continuing childcare policy for 0 to 12-year-olds. Taiwan has the lowest fertility rate in the world, even with the Executive Yuan's NT$5,000 allowance for a couple's first child from 0 to 6 years old. The low birthrate problem is still worsening. They hope politicians don't just use the money to encourage fertility.

Huang Ciao-ling, Spokesperson, Childcare Policy Alliance: “Some parents will say that getting money is a small supplement. But the point is that they took the money but can't find a cheap and secure service. Which means that this policy is ineffective.”

The groups put forward five suggestions referencing international experience. The rate of out-of-home childcare should be increased to 37 percent for children aged 0 to 2 years old; expand childcare services for 2 to 3-year-olds, focusing on babysitters, public kindergartens, and non-profit preschools; the ratio of public and private kindergartens should be reversed to 7:3; the after-school service of public kindergartens should reach 100 percent, and the coverage rate of after-school care classes in public elementary schools should reach 30 percent.

Huang Ciao-ling, Spokesperson, Childcare Policy Alliance: “Parents complain their kids can't get a spot at public kindergartens or a good nanny can't be found. So the government still needs to provide public childcare services to support families.”

The groups emphasized that because of the low birth rate, the government should take responsibility to expand public childcare so that young people are willing to put down roots in various cities and have children. Sound childcare policies can attract young families to more willingly raise the next generation. 

民間團體聯合召開記者會，呼籲22縣市首長參選人應訂定0到12歲不中斷的公共服務托育政見，因為台灣生育率全球最低，即使行政院將0到6歲第１胎育兒津貼加碼到5千元，但少子化問題仍持續惡化，希望政治人物不要只想用發錢來鼓勵生育。

托育政策催生聯盟發言人黃喬鈴表示：「有些家長會說拿到錢不無小補，但重點是他拿了錢用不到平價安心的服務，就等於是沒有政策效果的。」

參考國際經驗，民團體提出5大建言，包括0到2歲幼兒家外送托率應提升到37%。以保母及公共化幼兒園為主力，擴充2到3歲的托育服務量。公私立幼兒園比例應翻轉為7比3。公立幼兒園的課後留園服務應達百分之百，以及公立國小課後照顧班涵蓋率應達3成。

托育政策催生聯盟發言人黃喬鈴表示：「家長抱怨公幼抽不到或者是排幼幼班，或者是好的保母找不到，所以對於這樣子的問題，還是要從政府提供公共托育服務來支持家庭生養。」

民間團體強調，正因為生育率低且新生兒太少，政府更應該負起責任擴張公共托育，讓年輕人願意生養小孩。對縣市首長來說，完善的托育政策可吸引青年家庭落地生根，更願意在地養育下一代。