Since its launch on July 1, the end-to-end daycare subsidy program has been highly welcomed by the majority of parents. However, some parents reflect that they have to send their kids to the nursery schools or daycare centers near their work places in the neighboring counties and hope they still get subsidized. After careful assessment, the Social Affairs Bureau of Taichung City Government has decided to expand the subsidy program to cover those nursery schools and daycare centers in Changhua, Nantou, Miaoli County since July on wards, provided that they meet our qualification requirements.

The new plan is expanded to cover nursery schools and daycare centers within 10 kilometers from the workplace of a parent who has registered his or her household in Taichung. A qualified nursery school can apply to the Education Bureau for a tuition-fee grant of NT$ 30,000 per kid every academic year. Meanwhile, a qualified daycare center can apply to the Social Affairs Bureau for NT$ 2,000 to NT$ 3,000 affordable childcare subsidy per kid per month.

The end-to-end daycare subsidy program is a product of social investment philosophy. Equipped with subsidy and price control mechanisms, the program aims to make parents feel at ease in going out to work and entrusting their babies to an affordable childcare service provider while the childcare market price can be stabilized and more job opportunities can be created for childcare workers. “We hope to make best use of every cent of government money,” emphasized the Social Affairs Bureau.

Those who wish to participate in the end-to-end daycare subsidy program must be certified by the Taichung City Government first. The certified daycare centers must comply with the non-price-hike principle and pass the performance evaluation. A daycare center with an evaluation score of Grade A can charge a total monthly daycare fee of NT$ 13,000 on the average and no more than NT$ 1,000 per month for solid foods, while its childcare staff must have the Child Care Technician certificates or the diplomas of early childhood care, housekeeping or nursing care from senior high schools and above.

The nursery schools shall not charge higher fees than in the previous school year. Any private nursery school that charges higher fees than the amounts reported to the Education Bureau for future reference should refund the excess immediately and be disqualified of the grant for 2 academic years from the next year.

For further information, nursery schools please contact Ms. Kao, Early Childhood Education Division, Education Bureau at Tel: 04-22289111 ext. 54404 and daycare centers please contact Ms. Su, Women and Children Welfare Division, Social Affairs Bureau at Tel: 04-22289111 ext. 37508.