Investigation on supply and demand of 0-3 years old infant and toddler care institutions in Zhenjiang City
Objective To understand the supply and demand of childcare institutions in Zhenjiang City,aiming to provide evidence and reference for the next decision-making of the city's health administrative department.Methods Par-ents of infants and young children under the age of 3 who accompanied the physical examination were invited to fill in the questionnaire under the premise of informed consent,and a total of 1 032 valid questionnaires were collected.The Population and Family Department of the Zhenjiang Municipal Health Commission issued a document requiring teachers from childcare institutions in the city to fill in questionnaires,and a total of 240 valid questionnaires were collected.Results A total of 1 032 parents of infants and young children under the age of 3 were surveyed,of which 84.98%were mothers.The top three reasons for choosing a childcare institution were adapting to kindergarten life in advance(99.01%),obtaining early education(92.49%),and having no one to take care of them at home(52.37%).Totally 49.97%of the parents chose kindergartens with nursery classes,32.83%of parents chose government-implemented childcare institutions,14.04%of parents chose early edu-cation centers,and 3.10%of parents chose unit nursery schools.In addition,240 questionnaires were received from teachers,of which 50.62%had a junior college/high school degree,46.91%had a bachelor's degree,and 1.23%had a master's degree.Totally 19.17%of the monthly childcare fees collected by nursery schools were less than 1 000 yuan,58.75%were 1 000-2 000 yuan,21.67%were 2 001-3 000 yuan,and 0.42%were more than 3 000 yuan.Teachers'monthly income of 2 000-4 000 yuan accounted for the highest proportion,accounting for 77.50%.There was a statistically significant differ-ence in the income composition of teachers in inclusive childcare institutions and other teachers(x2=18.68,P<0.01).The income of teachers in inclusive childcare institu-tions was concentrated in 2 001-4 000 yuan,accounting for 81.82%of the total.The monthly childcare fee of inclusive childcare institutions was lower than that of other childcare institutions,and the difference was statistically significant(x2=30.13,P<0.01).The actual childcare cost was higher than that of the parent's expectations(x2=16.00,P<0.01).Conclusions The demand and supply of childcare services are unbal-anced,and the actual cost of childcare is higher than that of parent's expectations.Therefore,it is necessary to implement in-clusive childcare institutions and public kindergarten nursery classes.
Nursery institutioninfant and toddlerService requirementCurrent supply situation