Meeting demand for kindergartens

The Ministry of Education described its progress in efforts to expand publicly funded kindergarten and childcare capacities. Since 2017, the government has subsidized the establishment of more than 4,100 additional classrooms at kindergartens nationwide, bringing the total to about 270,000 places.

This year, the ministry is allocating more than NT$500 million (US$15.46 million) to fund further expansions.

Recent policy efforts have focused on two-year-olds: Local governments have received targeted assistance to establish dedicated classes based on the number of children they have aged two to five, the number of publicly funded places available and enrollment numbers in each administrative area. In some areas with plenty of affordable places for three-to-five-year-olds, classrooms have been converted to cater to two-year-olds.

After a decade of capacity expansion, the challenge is to match supply to demand within local communities and ensure that services are accessible.

Although the total number of places nationwide is substantial, parents are most concerned about whether they can find a suitable location near their home or work. New urban redevelopments, technology park precincts and other areas with population inflows might still have waiting lists, but townships experiencing population decline might struggle to attract enough enrollments.

The ministry’s adjustments to class cohort numbers based on supply and demand could also be extended to the level of local communities. Local governments could publish annual figures on the population of children aged two to five, publicly funded places, waiting-list numbers and average commuting distances, alongside three-year demand forecasts. Areas experiencing rapid residential growth should set aside space, while elementary schools with declining enrollments could consider converting unused classrooms into kindergarten facilities, allowing resources to be adjusted in line with demographic changes.

When children move from infant daycare centers or home-based childcare into kindergartens, families often have to navigate changes in schedules, entry dates and care arrangements. The ministry’s priority of establishing dedicated kindergarten bands for two-year-olds at elementary schools that already have infant daycare centers should help facilitate the transition. It could share data with the Ministry of Health and Welfare so that families can understand the availability of nearby services when their children are about one year old. They could also explore establishing a single information portal that integrates details on places for children up to age six, fees, enrollment periods and waiting lists, reducing the burden on parents of comparing information across multiple platforms.

Families also need childcare that accommodates their work hours. For working parents who do not clock off until 5pm or 6pm, the reliability of after-hours kindergarten care, programs during winter and summer holidays, and the availability of extended care services directly affects how useful care providers are. Shift workers face particular difficulties.

The central government could assess working patterns in areas with concentrated industrial activity and encourage local governments to extend care hours in response to demand.

Additional staffing and funding should be provided to kindergartens offering longer service hours, while taking into account the working hours and workloads of early childhood educators. Adequate staffing would allow shifts to be arranged without compromising service quality. Whether the policies genuinely support families often comes down to the difference made by just one or two hours at the beginning or end of the day.

The expansion of publicly funded kindergartens has passed its large-scale growth phase. Going forward, the government should establish a comprehensive annual performance report that tracks not only the number of new classes and available places, but also waiting-list rates, supply and demand for dedicated classes for two-year-olds, commuting distances, uptake of extended care, staff turnover and parental satisfaction.

Taiwan’s declining birthrate might be reducing the total number of young children, but demand continues to change with population movements, family structures and working patterns. The 4,100 new classes and 270,000 extra places provide an important foundation.

However, families’ actual needs can only be met when services are located where they are needed, transitions between childcare and kindergarten are seamless, and service hours fit the realities of family life.