The aging population and declining birth rate have become a global concern. Professor Sutay Yavuz, a visiting scholar at Academia Sinica and a population policy expert in the Department of Sociology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Ankara University, Turkey, recently visited New Taipei City to engage in in-depth discussions on childcare services, policies to encourage childbirth, and family support. Deputy Director Wu Shu-fang of the Social Affairs Bureau and Acting Chief Secretary Wu Hsiu-tzu of the Civil Affairs Bureau led colleagues in the discussions and shared New Taipei City's practical experience in promoting marriage, childbirth, and family support policies.

Professor Yavuz stated that while Ankara, where he lives, has a high population density similar to New Taipei City, its social welfare system is not as comprehensive. Turkey's public childcare resources are relatively limited, forcing most parents to hire caregivers themselves, and the government lacks a registration, management, and regulatory oversight mechanism. Therefore, he hoped to gain a deeper understanding of New Taipei City's childcare policies and regulatory system through this opportunity.

Wu Shu-fang, Deputy Director of the Social Affairs Bureau, stated that under the leadership of Mayors Eric Chu and Yu-Ih Hou, New Taipei City currently has 130 public childcare centers, capable of accommodating 6,565 children. Combined with 238 public childcare cooperative alliances and quasi-public childcare centers, approximately 17,190 children are enrolled in the public childcare system. Including private childcare centers and home-based childcare services, the out-of-home childcare rate has exceeded 45%, significantly surpassing the OECD average of 38% and ranking first in the country. Regarding encouraging childbirth, a special prenatal care service is provided to ensure the traffic safety of pregnant and postpartum women.



Wu Hsiu-tzu, Acting Chief Secretary of the Civil Affairs Bureau, stated that New Taipei City has provided various policies over the years, including singles matchmaking and joint weddings, offering assistance at different stages of youth life, from dating and marriage to childbirth and childcare, hoping to reduce the burden on young people starting families and raising children, and create a more child-friendly environment.

Professor Yavuz stated that this exchange left a deep impression on him regarding New Taipei City's childcare policies, particularly praising the city's systems for registering, verifying qualifications, and managing the childcare environment for home-based childcare providers. He believes these practices are worth considering for Turkey's future development. He also pointed out that late marriage and remaining single are among the reasons for declining birth rates, while housing conditions and marriage support are equally important factors influencing young people's decision to start families and have children. He emphasized that in addition to providing childcare support, the government should actively intervene in areas such as youth housing and family formation to reduce obstacles young people face in marriage and childbirth, thus providing a more comprehensive response to the challenges of a declining birth rate.

Wu Shu-fang responded that a declining birth rate involves multiple aspects, including marriage, childbirth, childcare, and family support, requiring cooperation from all parties. She was grateful for the opportunity to exchange ideas with Professor Sutay Yavuz and to rethink the issue from the perspectives of different countries, sharing policy experiences and learning from each other to create a more favorable environment for young people to start families, have children, and raise them, thus jointly addressing the challenges brought about by global demographic changes.