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Lack of caregivers biggest obstacle to second child: survey

Xinhua, March 22, 2016 Adjust font size:

More than half of Chinese parents view a lack of caregivers as the biggest obstacle preventing them from having a second child, a recent survey on the two-child policy showed.

According to the survey by the China Youth Daily, of the 2,001 surveyed, 58 percent also said it is normal for young parents to allow babysitters or grandparents to raise children, while 63 percent said pressure from work leaves parents unable to raise their children themselves.

Moreover, 72.8 percent of people surveyed said they worry about the economic pressure brought by a second child.

All married couples in China have been allowed to have two children since Jan. 1, following an earlier easing of the policy in 2013 that allowed couples to have a second child if either parent was an only child.

Li Xin, a clerk in her twenties, said that almost none of her friends raise their children themselves.

"The kids stay with their grandparents until their parents get off work," she said, expressing concern for the grandparents, while acknowledging many have no other choice.

Wang Xiuhua, 56, who has been looking after her grandson for four years, understands the dilemma younger parents face. "They're too busy with their work, so it's normal for me to take over the child."

"For many young parents, whether to have a second child depends on whether their own parents can serve as babysitters," said Chen Wei, demography professor at Renmin University of China.

"It's necessary to set up more care centers for infants to ease the pressure for two-child families," he added. "Parental leave should also be longer."

Younger parents must learn more about how to raise children as well, as they have had more exposure to modern educational ideas, according to Zhang Baoyi, researcher at Tianjin Academy of Social Sciences.

Since the implementation of the two-child policy, China has been looking to improve training for pediatric resident doctors, while measures to better allocate maternal and child health resources have been adopted. Endi