The Impact of 0-3 Years Old Childcare Services on Infant Development and Family Well-being: An Empirical Study

Abstract

With the implementation of the three-child policy in China and the increasing demand for family childcare, 0-3 years old childcare services have become a key focus of social and policy attention. This study aims to systematically explore the impact of childcare services on infant development and family well-being, and identify the core influencing path of childcare services. Based on 208 valid questionnaires collected from parents of 0-3 years old infants, this study adopts a five-level Likert scale to measure the research variables, and uses descriptive statistical analysis, reliability and validity test, correlation analysis, difference analysis and mediation effect analysis to conduct empirical research. The results show that childcare services have a significant positive impact on infants' physical, cognitive, social and self-care development, and can effectively alleviate family parenting pressure, improve family relationships and life well-being. The adaptation and habit formation of infants in childcare institutions play a partial mediating role between childcare services and infant development, with a mediating effect ratio of 53.5%. In addition, childcare services have strong universality, and there is no significant difference in the evaluation of service effects among different family types and infant age groups. This study provides empirical evidence for optimizing the supply of childcare services and improving the quality of childcare services in China.