Trade unions promote childcare services for workers

On a sweltering morning in July, 7-year-old Wang Zijun walked into a classroom in Furong district of Changsha, Hunan province, to attend free summer childcare classes organized by local trade unions.

His mother, a cleaner, leaves home before dawn, while his father works in a factory on the city's outskirts and returns only on weekends.

"This summer, my mom doesn't have to worry about me anymore," Wang said.

He is one of more than 160 children enrolled in the 20-day program, which is tailored for the children of delivery riders, couriers and truck drivers — workers who often struggle to balance work and parenting during the long summer vacation.

Wang's experience is part of a nationwide effort to expand affordable childcare services for working families.

The All-China Federation of Trade Unions recently issued a notice urging trade unions at all levels to provide summer childcare services for children aged 6 to 12. The program gives priority to families facing financial difficulties, single-parent households, migrant workers, model workers and workers in new forms of employment.

The notice stresses that the services should go beyond simple babysitting by integrating care, supervision and education. Programs are encouraged to include patriotic education, traditional culture, science, legal awareness, labor and vocational education, and parent-child reading to complement school education.

In Changsha, 82 childcare sites have opened this summer, benefiting about 24,600 children, according to the Changsha Federation of Trade Unions. The centers provide homework supervision, interest-based courses and sports activities.

For Meng Xueting, a courier, the service has been a great relief.

"As soon as summer comes, I start worrying about who will take care of my child while I'm delivering parcels," she said. "With the union's help, it's much safer than leaving my child at home alone."

Hunan province has included childcare centers in its top 10 provincial livelihood agenda this year, aiming to cultivate 100 exemplary sites across the province.

Song Zhengrong, vice-chairwoman of the Hunan Federation of Trade Unions, said promoting childcare services through trade unions helps relieve workers' concerns, enabling them to better contribute to Hunan's high-quality development.

Hundreds of kilometers away in Lishui, Zhejiang province, footwear manufacturer Yearcon Co has been running free summer daycare classes for employees' children for 20 consecutive summers.

Liu Keqiang, a primary school student from Fuyang, Anhui province, is one of this summer's participants. Living with his grandmother in his hometown for most of the year, he joined the program after his parents, both employees of the company, brought him to Lishui.

"I'm very happy here. I've learned a lot and made many new friends. We play together and get along well," Liu said.

Wang Runfang, an employee from Henan province, said she brought her son to the daycare center because she worried about his safety if he stayed in his hometown during the summer vacation.

"Now I can work with peace of mind, while he can make new friends and learn football, drawing and music," she said. "Since we can't stay with him at home during school days, bringing him here gives me peace of mind. I'm very grateful to the company for providing this platform."

She added that her son enjoys the classes, the environment and the meals.

Mei Haiyan, chairwoman of the company's union committee, said the daycare program serves children aged 3 to 12.

Nearly 5,000 children have benefited from the program to date, she said. This year's session runs from July 8 to Aug 15, lasting about 40 days.

"Many of these children are left behind in their hometowns during the year, so summer is their only opportunity to reunite with their parents and ease the pain of separation," Mei said.

Zeng Yulan, vice-chairwoman of the Lishui Federation of Trade Unions, called the program "a vivid example of grassroots trade unions serving workers".

Over the past two decades, the company has invested nearly 10 million yuan ($1.48 million) in caring for employees' children, with more than 900,000 yuan spent on this summer's free daycare services alone, she said.