“Something Is Better Than Nothing:” Families’ Perceptions and Experiences of China’s 2025 National Childcare Subsidy Policy

Drawing on semi-structured interviews with 15 mothers and one father, this study examines families’ perceptions and experiences of China’s 2025 National Childcare Subsidy Policy, a large-scale, unconditional, direct cash transfer program for families with children aged 0 to 3. The results show that responsibilities for childcare and for subsidy applications fell disproportionately on mothers. All participants perceived the main goal as boosting the birth rate, but none felt it would affect their reproductive decisions. Most participants viewed childcare as a shared responsibility between families and the government and allocated the subsidy to child-related expenses. These findings suggest that while the subsidy reduces families’ expenses for child-related products and shifts their views on childcare responsibilities, structural and contextual constraints continue to limit its influence on reproductive decisions and broader investment in children’s capabilities, highlighting the importance of building more comprehensive family support policies alongside financial assistance.