CHONGQING -- In a childcare center nestled in the Yuzhong district of Southwest China's Chongqing municipality, sunlight streams through the windows, casting a warm glow over a playroom where six toddlers dash back and forth under their teacher's watchful eyes.

In an adjacent classroom, younger infants, with the gentle guidance of caregivers, flip through colorful picture books, their tiny fingers tracing the images.

As China's dual-income families grow and parenting philosophies evolve, an increasing number of parents are seeking professional childcare services to balance their busy lives.

"We offer full-day care and craft personalized development plans tailored to each child's age, documenting their growth every step of the way," said Yang Huiyuan, assistant director of Qingtaoli Future Gallery, a local childcare center.

The center focuses on refined early education, integrating language, movement, and fine-motor skills to foster holistic growth. "Many parents today juggle the demands of work and caregiving. Professional childcare allows them to focus on their careers while their children receive scientific and attentive care," Yang added.

In recent years, China's childcare service network has expanded rapidly. According to data from the National Health Commission, by the end of 2024, China had 5.8 million childcare slots nationwide, equivalent to about 4.08 slots per 1,000 people, a 2.3-fold increase compared with 2020.

Data from iiMedia Research shows that China's childcare market reached 151.8 billion yuan (about $21.3 billion) in 2024 and is expected to reach 232.3 billion yuan by 2030, as both central and local governments strengthen policy and financial support.

At Wonderful Mother, another childcare center in Chongqing, dozens of toddlers play and learn under the guidance of professional teachers. The center offers hourly, half-day and full-day services to meet different family needs.

"My granddaughter Wang Lingyi, who is three years old, has been here for three months," said Granny Zhang, her grandmother. "Her parents are university teachers nearby and busy during the day. Here, she can get professional care and play with other children."

Fu Qian, teaching supervisor at Wonderful Mother, said that enrollment is trending younger — the youngest child this year was just 40 days old. "New-generation parents prefer leaving childcare to professionals. They focus on nurturing their children's concentration, independence and social skills," Fu said.

Modern childcare centers have evolved far beyond traditional nurseries that merely provided supervision and safety. Today's facilities integrate early education, psychology and health management, emphasizing developmental care.

"Childcare today is not just about 'looking after children' — it's about helping them grow in a safe environment," Yang said.

Childcare services not only meet family needs but also fuel a booming childcare economy. Industry insiders estimate that caring for a child from 6 months to 3 years old costs 70,000 to 100,000 yuan, and that China's potential childcare market exceeds 1 trillion yuan.

The industry also supports female employment and releases workforce potential. "High-quality childcare enables parents, especially mothers, to return to work without worry," said Jia Qianying, lead expert at the Municipal Skilled Masters Studio for Elderly and Nursing Care at the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University.

To address workforce shortages, Chongqing Nursing Vocational College launched a childcare service and management major in 2021 to train interdisciplinary professionals in health, education and management. Its first 100 graduates completed their studies last year. "Although more than 150,000 students nationwide are now enrolled in related programs, the talent gap still exceeds 2 million," Jia said.

According to Li Li, head of Baby First, another Chongqing-based childcare provider, the industry is undergoing a "conceptual awakening."

"A decade ago, parents asked if we could keep their children from falling. Now they ask if we can help develop focus. This shows growing awareness of childcare's educational value," Li said. Professional childcare, she added, fosters children's independence and self-care skills while improving parent-child interactions.

Nearly half of Chinese parents now say they need childcare services, with community-based and flexible-hour models most favored. An action plan on China's childcare service quality improvement from 2025 to 2027 aims to create 660,000 new inclusive childcare slots and promote medical-educational integration, standardization and talent development.

Across China, the building of a childcare-friendly society is gaining momentum. Beyond Chongqing, many regions are also developing innovative models for childcare services.

In Beijing, community childcare centers have been set up within neighborhood service hubs, offering convenient "near-home" options for families. Shanghai encourages social organizations to open affordable childcare facilities through a government procurement of services.

In Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong province, integrated childcare complexes combine nursery services with early education, parent-child activities, and family counseling. Meanwhile, Jinan in East China's Shandong province is developing a new model that merges childcare and elderly care to meet diverse family needs.

"Childcare is an industry where social benefits outweigh economic ones," Jia said. "As professional training, standards and public awareness improve, childcare services are set to enter a new phase of growth in the next five to 10 years, becoming a key part of China's effort to build a family-friendly society."