BEIJING - A Chinese health spokesperson on Monday announced that the country's nationwide childcare subsidy program is now open for applications.

Hu Qiangqiang, a spokesperson for the National Health Commission, said at a press conference that the public can now apply through multiple online platforms -- including Alipay and WeChat, as well as via offline channels.

China in July introduced the nationwide subsidy program, effective from Jan 1, 2025, which is expected to benefit more than 20 million families each year, as part of the country's efforts to support families and encourage childbirth.

The program will offer families 3,600 yuan (about $507) per year for each child under the age of three.

The Ministry of Finance later said the central budget will allocate 90 billion yuan this year to support the issuance of these subsidies.

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As one of the world's most populous countries, China is facing a dual demographic challenge -- a shrinking number of newborns and a rapidly aging population.

The country's birth rate and total number of newborns had declined for seven consecutive years before experiencing a modest rebound in 2024. Meanwhile, China's population aged 60 and above had reached 310 million by the end of last year.

In response, China has steadily loosened its family planning policies over the past decade, phasing out the one-child policy by allowing married couples to have two children in 2016 -- and announcing support for married couples wishing to have a third child in 2021.

Multiple local governments, including those in Hohhot, capital of North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, and Shenyang, capital city of Northeast China's Liaoning province, have piloted programs in recent years to subsidize families with young children.

The nationwide policy to provide childcare subsidies was for the first time included in the annual government work report in March 2025.