Childcare is changing with transformations in society. The traditional agricultural society, especially, focused on childcare within large families; the women were always at home. In most industrial societies, however, stay-at-home mothers are the exception; and small families have replaced large ones. Women entering the workforce face the immediate problem of arranging for the care of their children while they are on the job.

In past issues, Sinorama has introduced family services available in Taiwan. We now continue this series with a report on diaper services and childcare facilities.

Though widespread in the west, diaper services were first established in Taiwan in 1971 to serve hospitals. Later, individual women who learned about the diaper processing companies at the hospitals began taking their services at home.

People of today are very concerned about hygiene, especially when it comes to their babies. The diaper services, with sophisticated sterilization equipment on their premises, are thus especially appealing--beyond the major factor of added convenience.

In order to get customers these services often contact new mothers directly at the gynecology departments of hospitals.

Now the services cater to individual households, confinement clinics (like those introduced in last month's Sinorama), hospitals, and childcare centers.

Diaper service normally costs households NT$1,500 (US$37.00) per month, and includes four dozen diapers delivered every two days or eight dozen diapers delivered every four days. The sanitization of these is effective for one week, after which time all the unused diapers in a household must be collected and resanitized.

Many mothers here are reluctant to use paper diapers which may irritate a newborn's skin, and paper diapers cost more, too.

Though most women in modern society would prefer that a relative care for their children, few have the option of sending the kids off to live with their grandparents or other close relatives. An example of this trend is Hui Chun, editor of a local magazine. She and her husband decided to ask his mother to care for their infant; and grandma, who lives in a rural area near Tainan in southern Taiwan, was happy to care for the child.

But Hui Chun had to accept some adverse effects. Because of her career responsibilities and the great distance between Taipei and Tainan, she could normally only arrange to see her child once a month. It was not until the child was ready for kindergarten that the parents felt they could bring the child back to Taipei to live with them. But it was painful to separate grandparent from grandchild. They had been together for four years by then, and it took a long time for the parents and the child to adjust to their new relationship.

Other parents find someone--perhaps a neighbor--to look after their children. Pi Ling, a nurse, arranged for a middle-aged neighbor woman to care for her child. The child would, however, cry and grab food to eat when she brought him home. In order to find out what was really going on at the neighbor's house, she went there unexpectedly.

She discovered that the food she provided for her child was being fed to the babysitter's child and also that her child was not receiving adequate attention. She quickly moved her child to an organized childcare facility.

There are three general types of organized childcare facilities: those providing half-day care, full-day care, and overnight care. They normally offer a playroom or a game room, an activity room, a nurse's office, bedrooms, a waiting room, a kitchen, and a bathroom. Furthermore, nurses are assigned according to the number of infants--one nurse to every ten infants under one year old, and one to every fifteen over one year old.

National Junior College of Nursing Director Wang Chung-ho feels that overnight childcare facilities should have a doctor's services at set times to check on the infants' well being.

Ms. Wang also feels that all childcare facilities should offer some sort of education or training for the children in their care. Besides regular feedings and baths, the staff shows children how to turn over, crawl, and walk. In this way, the children's development is fostered from their earliest life experiences.

Generally speaking, organized full-day childcare facilities charge around NT$6,000 (US$150) per month; and overnight care facilities average NT$8,000-9,000 (US$200-225) per month.

Parents can normally trust their relatives to show love to their children, and a neighbor is of course convenient, but both of these situations draw on traditional forms of child-rearing. The childcare centers offer the latest educational and psychological methods available. They also help children become independent, and to acquire appropriate daily habits in personal hygiene.

Both services illustrate lifestyle transitions in the Republic of China, and the proliferation of service industries to cater to the new needs of an increasingly affluent, industrialized people.

[Picture Caption]

Diaper services. 1.3. Daily disbursal and collection of diapers is done by personnel in vans. 2. After being washed and dried, the diapers are folded by hand. 4. One of the skilled personnel, checking the gaugeson one of the many machines used by the diaper services.

Childcare facilities. 1. Mixing a day's worth of formula in the morning saves time later on in the day. 2. Bath time--this baby is enjoying being given a bath. 3. Some childcare facilities have washing machines and dryers in case the kids mess up their clothes. 4. A cute baby laughing in the care of a skilled professional.

1. National Junior College of Nursing director Wang Chung-ho thinks that the two important features that the personnel of a childcare facility must have are a loving nature and patience. 2. Children playing under the watchful eyes of nurses.

2. After being washed and dried, the diapers are folded by hand.

Diaper services. 1.3. Daily disbursal and collection of diapers is done by personnel in vans.

4. One of the skilled personnel, checking the gaugeson one of the many machines used by the diaper services.

Childcare facilities. 1. Mixing a day's worth of formula in the morning saves time later on in the day.

2. Bath time--this baby is enjoying being given a bath.

3. Some childcare facilities have washing machines and dryers in case the kids mess up their clothes.

4. A cute baby laughing in the care of a skilled professional.

1. National Junior College of Nursing director Wang Chung-ho thinks that the two important features that the personnel of a childcare facility must have are a loving nature and patience.

2. Children playing under the watchful eyes of nurses.