By Zhao Ran

Parents nowadays often both work outside the home and this has led to an increasing interest in quality childcare for their children.

Many parents do not want to hand their children over to the grandparents as they fear they may no longer have the energy to provide adequate care, and they also know it is very likely the grandparents will spoil the kids.

Many busy parents are now turning to pre-kindergarten centers.

The China Babycare Organization launched the Community Babycare Center last year, and it now has branches in more than 19 of Beijing’s residential areas.

Zhang Na is the supervisor of Nanhu east park Community Babycare Center in Wangjing, Chaoyang district Beijing, and she says that their “competitive advantage” is that they accept children under the age of 3, who would be too young for any kindergarten.

They also offer a wide variety of lessons, including subjects such as English and music, and use the education material of the China Babycare Organization.

All teachers are required to have a special qualification in “baby care”, in addition to a degree in early childhood education.

At the Wanjing branch, the 30 registered children are divided into 2 classes – one for those under the age of 3, and the other for those between 3 and 6 years old. Four teachers are responsible for each of the classes.

There is a particular emphasis on teachers spending one-to-one time with each child, which the organization regards as part of their “good service attitude”.

This includes a stress on individual attention to the emotional needs of each child. And it is not unusual for the teachers to contact the parents in case of any problems.

Zhang explains that they keep records of the children’s progress and also offer professional advice to parents, in what she calls a “bilateral effort”.

One success story concerns Bang Bang, aged 2, who has been attending the Wanjing branch for more than half a year. At first, he refused to play with the other children, but is now very much more lively and happy to interact with the others.

Bang Bang’s father told the Global Times that he and his wife were initially very anxious about leaving their son at the center, but had no choice as they both work.

 The center says it pays much attention to safety – and everyone who enters has to ring a bell.
Zhang adds that cleanliness is a priority, as well as an emphasis on nutritious food.

The monthly cost of sending a child to the center every day is 2600 yuan. According to a survey the center carried out, the average age of the children’s parents is 32, and the monthly household income is more than 20,000 yuan.

One parent surnamed Liu said that she and her husband aim to give the best they can afford to their offspring, adding that if they know their child is safe and content, they can concentrate on their work.

Zhang adds that both she and the parents are committed to the children and aim to give them an awareness of their environment, with “mutual understanding, friendship, and communication”.