How can “small childcare” support “great happiness”? A study on inclusive childcare services for infants and toddlers aged 0–3 in Guangxi through the lens of the capability approach

TL;DR

This study explores how childcare services in Guangxi can better support families and improve happiness through more equitable and effective policies.

Contribution

The paper introduces a capability-based analysis of childcare policy challenges and proposes targeted solutions for improving childcare access and quality.

Findings

Current childcare policies in Guangxi have partially improved family capabilities but face issues like uneven resource allocation.

Institutional service capacity and collaborative governance mechanisms are insufficient to fully realize policy goals.

Proposed solutions include financial subsidies, diversified childcare options, and stronger governance systems.

Abstract

Under the “three-child” policy, the importance of childcare for infants and toddlers aged 0–3 has been emphasized. However, the implementation of universal childcare policies still faces problems such as supply–demand mismatches, uneven resource distribution, and insufficient supervision, which constrain families’ childcare capabilities.

Drawing on Amartya Sen’s capability approach and taking Guangxi as the research area, this study analyses the dilemmas and challenges in the implementation of universal childcare policies, explores their impact on families’ economic, social, and informational capabilities, and proposes corresponding optimisation paths.

The current implementation of universal childcare in Guangxi was systematically examined through a mixed-methods approach, combining questionnaire surveys with in-depth interviews.

The results show that the policy has improved families’ childcare capabilities to some extent. However, its effectiveness has not been fully realized due to irrational resource allocation, limited service capacity of childcare institutions, insufficient family capabilities, and imperfect mechanisms of collaborative governance.

Based on these findings, this paper proposes high-quality development paths including more precise financial subsidies, diversification of childcare supply, and strengthening of collaborative governance systems. These measures aim to enhance families’ childcare freedom and promote the goal of ensuring that every child has access to care.

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