三部门发文完善幼儿园收费政策 让适龄儿童“上得起”“上好园”

Core Viewpoint - The recent notification issued by the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Finance aims to improve the kindergarten fee policy to better meet the public demand for affordable and quality early childhood education, reduce childcare costs, and enhance the fertility support policy system [1] Group 1: Fee Policy Framework - The notification emphasizes the public welfare nature of preschool education and aims to establish reasonable fee standards, including five specific chargeable items: childcare education fees, accommodation fees, childcare fees for nursery services, service fees, and additional fees [2] - It categorizes fee management methods, with public kindergartens and non-profit private kindergartens following government-guided pricing, while for-profit private kindergartens will have market-regulated pricing for their fees [2] - The principles for setting fee standards are based on costs after deducting government funding and donations, considering local economic conditions, public affordability, market demand, and service types [2] Group 2: Fee Management and Regulation - A directory list system will be established for kindergarten fees, requiring public disclosure of service fees and additional charges, with no fees allowed outside the approved list [3] - Strengthening supervision of fee collection practices is mandated, with requirements for kindergartens to establish sound financial management systems and clear guidelines for fee collection and refunds [3] Group 3: Quality Improvement and Cost Regulation - The notification aims to enhance the quality of public kindergartens by allowing them to set specific fee standards within a government-guided framework, thus encouraging better educational services [4] - It addresses the issue of excessive profit-seeking in for-profit private kindergartens by implementing stricter fee regulations and potential cost investigations to ensure reasonable pricing [4] Group 4: Encouragement of Childcare Services - The notification encourages kindergartens to provide nursery services, addressing the overall shortage of such services while allowing them to set fees based on the cost structure of childcare services [5] Group 5: Addressing Irregular Fee Practices - The notification highlights the existence of irregular fee practices in kindergartens, such as charging for various services through indirect means, and proposes measures to combat these practices [6][7] - It mandates the establishment of a comprehensive fee list for each region, ensuring that kindergartens can only charge for items listed and must publicly disclose their fee structures [7]