Beijing: Birth rates falling in the country, Chinese authorities have issued a policy introducing a range of prenatal and postnatal support measures to promote long-term population balance.
Those measures include better public maternal and childcare services, as well as better maternity and paternity leave policies, according to guidance released Tuesday by the National Health Commission.
The measure also includes preferential housing and tax policies and the promotion of fertility-friendly jobs, the Xinhua News Agency reported.
In recent years, an increasing number of people in China have been covered by maternity insurance. In 2021, the number reached 240 million, 1.5 times as much as in 2012.
Chinese state media said the newly released policy shows local governments could explore ways to extend maternity insurance coverage to workers in flexible jobs.
The guideline also mentions other measures, e.g. B. building a fertility-friendly workplace, promoting flexible work practices, and protecting people’s legitimate labor and employment rights and interests.