A guardian and her child play a game at a daycare center in Hai'an City, east China's Jiangsu Province, Aug. 16, 2025. (Photo by Gu Binbin/Xinhua)

New mothers in 20 regions across China, including the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, will now have their maternity allowance deposited directly in their bank accounts, the National Healthcare Security Administration (NHSA) announced Monday. 

An expert noted this is the latest effort to foster a childbirth-friendly society and makes it easier for mothers to receive the benefit.

These regions include North China's Hebei and Shanxi provinces, East China's Zhejiang Province and Shanghai, according to the NHSA. 

Maternity allowance refers to the living expenses paid to female employees during their absence from work due to childbirth, as stipulated by Chinese laws and regulations.

Along with the simplified maternity allowance, other supportive policies have been announced since July. Beginning in 2025, a nationwide childcare subsidy program will provide families 3,600 yuan ($504) annually for each child under three, authorities said.

The application for childcare subsidies can be made both online and offline. Currently, the online application portals on third-party platforms such as Alipay and WeChat are in trial operation, while the preparations for offline applications for childcare subsidies in some regions are also largely ready, China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Monday.

In recent days, many parents have visited the Bailuzhou community service hall in Fuzhou, East China's Jiangxi Province, to ask about childcare subsidies. With staff guidance, many completed their online applications and are now waiting for approval, CCTV reported.

In addition, China's phased free preschool policy will cover all children in their final year of kindergartens nationwide, benefiting about 12 million starting from this autumn semester, according to Xinhua. 

On August 29, Beijing announced that from the autumn semester of 2025, all districts will waive the childcare education fees for children in their final year of preschool at both public and private kindergartens, according to a statement published by the People's Government of Beijing Municipality.

The central government has recently introduced policies spanning economic support, services, and public education, helping to create an environment conducive to childbirth, Jiang Quanbao, an expert in population studies and a professor at the School of Labor Economics, Capital University of Economics and Business, told the Global Times on Monday. 

The relevant policies not only alleviate the financial burden on families raising children but also send a positive signal showing the government's support for childbirth. Through such measures, the government hopes to foster a supportive atmosphere for childbirth throughout society and foster a childbirth-friendly society, which is a comprehensive system, said Jiang. 

Jiang noted that beyond financial aid, marriage registration procedures have also been streamlined, including the rollout of "nationwide access." In Shanghai alone, 2,310 couples registered their marriages on August 29, the highest Qixi Festival tally in nearly a decade, including 1,130 inter-provincial registrations, according to Shanghai local authorities.

"Simplified maternity allowance also helps to simplify the process for mothers to claim this money," Jiang said.

A Shanghai resident surnamed Huang, whose child just started kindergarten this year, said she was very happy about the subsidy. "It's real financial support, and I see the government using practical methods to help with childcare expenses. It makes me feel that the government is stepping up efforts to support families, which gives me confidence," Huang told the Global Times on Monday.