Blue book on early childhood issued

More resources needed to support nation's 30m kids age 3 and under

China's first blue book on the early development of children under 3 years old was released on Wednesday, providing targeted recommendations for addressing challenges related to caring for infants and toddlers, including insufficient investment, imbalances in urban and rural areas and a lack of professional talent.

The blue book, titled "China 0-3 Years Early Childhood Development Report (2024)", was released by the China Philanthropy Research Institute at Beijing Normal University. It urges the transition from a compensatory to a universal welfare approach in the early childhood development of the approximately 30 million children under age 3 in the country.

Gao Huajun, head of the institute, said early care and development for children under 3 years old have become part of China's strategy to address its aging population and to improve the balance of its demographics.