Various regions across China are integrating healthcare and early education services are, promoting physical and emotional development of toddlers and children by providing personalized care, as part of the country's efforts to support high-quality population development.
As one of China's first pilot cities for infant and toddler care, Meishan City in southwest China's Sichuan Province has established five public childcare institutions that integrate healthcare with early education.
For instance, Meishan Municipal Nursery Institute, which is able to accommodate 140 children, combines medical care with educational services to provide full-day, half-day, and hourly care for children aged zero to three.
"We provide comprehensive care for children aged zero to three, covering their feeding, daily routines, and overall growth and development. If any health issues or illnesses arise while they are at the nursery, our partnered hospitals will offer fast-track access to treatment," said Chen Jie, secretary of the general Party branch of the Meishan Maternal and Child Care Hospital.
In Shenyang, the capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province, more than a dozen toddlers aged one to three are taking part in sensory integration exercises led by early childhood education teachers at a nursery center, These activities are designed to enhance children's physical coordination and emotional development.
"My child has changed so much! The nursery center offers sensory integration and music classes as part of its early childhood program. The sensory classes have improved his physical coordination and balance, and the music lessons have encouraged him to express himself. He can even give some cute performs to us at home now," said Li Ming, mother of a child at the center.
In addition to structured lessons, the center also provides customized wellness programs for infants, combining traditional massage therapy with dietary adjustments to strengthen children's constitution and support their healthy development.
"We incorporate observation, including visual, auditory, olfactory, tactile and questioning, into daily care, and use facial and tongue diagnosis to create tailored wellness plans. We also teach parents simple massage techniques so that traditional Chinese medicine-based childcare can continue at home," said Wang Hong, a massage therapist at the center.
Integration of healthcare, early education promotes children's healthy development in China
