China’s Hospitals Turn to Daycare as Maternity Demand Shrinks

Public hospitals across China are opening low-cost childcare centers, part of a push to make infant care more accessible as falling births weaken demand for maternity services.

Ganzhou Maternal and Child Health Hospital opened a 125-place center on Sept. 16 across the street from its main facility in Jiangxi province. It accepts children from birth to age 3. Monthly full-day fees range from 1,400 yuan ($209) for children ages 2 to 3 to 2,000 yuan for infants ages 3 to 12 months, in line with local pricing standards for government-run providers. Families with children older than 1 also pay 25 yuan a day for meals.