育儿责任、性别角色与福利提供:中国儿童照顾政策的展望

Childcare Responsibility,Gender Role and Welfare Provision:A Prospect of China's Child Care Policy

在中国生育率呈下降趋势的背景下,缓解家庭育儿压力对提高生育意愿有深远影响。本文从育儿责任、性别角色和服务提供三个维度梳理了福利国家的儿童照顾政策,并基于中国调查数据观察本土儿童照顾政策的建设方向。结果表明,福利国家的儿童照顾政策依循自身的责任划分、性别认知及福利选择而具有一定区别;中国儿童照顾的现状与意愿具有较大偏差;家庭责任过高、男性角色缺失与国家福利不足使得中国家庭面临着严峻的儿童照顾风险。未来,中国应当积极扭转补缺型政策,强化父亲的育儿责任,并给予有儿童家庭资金、机会和服务方面的政策支持。

With declining fertility rate in China, relieving the family burden for child care has far-reaching implications for couple's fertility intentions. This paper reviews the child care policy in the welfare states from the dimensions of childcare responsibility, gender role and service provision. It shows that child care policies in the welfare states are divergent in terms of responsibility division, gender relations, and service options. Using national data, we also analyzed child care in urban and rural China to provide suggestions for future policy consideration. The results show that child care services and supports were needed and fathers were expected to be more involved in childcare. It indicates that many problems related to child care have emerged and they need urgent public policy intervention, increasing f*athers involvement in childcare, and providing services and financial supports to families with children.