Taipei: The Taipei City government's monthly subsidy for government-contracted daycare will rise by NT$3,000 (US$93) starting in July, a move expected to benefit 8,000 children under the age of 3, city officials said Tuesday. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an on Tuesday announced a set of childcare measures, headlined by a NT$3,000 increase in the city's monthly daycare subsidy.

According to Focus Taiwan, the subsidy is available for children under the age of 3 enrolled in private daycare or for home-based care provided by operators who have signed contracts with the city to offer quasi-public services, as per the Department of Social Welfare. These private daycare facilities are subject to a monthly fee cap of NT$23,500 set by the city government, while the limit for registered home-based daytime caregivers is NT$20,000.

The central government currently provides monthly daycare subsidies of NT$13,000 for a first child, NT$14,000 for a second child, and NT$15,000 for a third child or more. Following a planned NT$3,000 increase, Taipei City's additional subsidy will rise to NT$8,000 for a first child and NT$10,000 for a second child and above.

As a result, families with one child enrolled in contracted private daycare centers will pay no more than NT$2,500 per month, while daycare services for a second child and additional children will effectively be free, the department stated in a press release.

Meanwhile, with the planned expansion of the city's drop-in childcare network from 24 to 45 sites this September, Chiang mentioned that families with infants aged 6 months to 1 year will be eligible for eight hours of free service, a benefit valued at NT$1,600.