The delicate art of juggling deadlines and daycare pickups has long been well-practiced by Chinese parents. Few want to step off the career ladder; fewer still wish to miss story time. For Liu Yi in Shanghai, along with many parents set to join her, this balancing act is now becoming more manageable.

At 4:30 p.m., Liu, an operations manager at an internet firm, closes her laptop and heads out to collect her child. Her job is classified as a "Parent-friendly Post," which offers flexible shifts and work-from-home options for caregivers.

These kinds of posts are popping up as China moves to create a more supportive environment for raising kids, along with cash subsidies to families with children under three, a phased rollout of free preschool education, and a growing supply of childcare services.

Since December 2024, Shanghai has piloted a "Parent-friendly Posts" program encouraging flexible work for employees caring for children under 12.

At Huangdou Network Technology, where Liu works, roles like social media operator and livestream host no longer require fixed hours. Employees can set their own schedules to fit their family needs, as long as productivity and teamwork aren't affected.

At a Shanghai-based social organization focused on planning public-interest events, video editor Carlos Jin shifted to remote work when his daughter fell ill. His employer has extended similar flexibility to other digitally based roles, granting autonomy over process while making sure staff are kept accountable for results.

The program is spreading fast. Official figures show that more than 540 employers in Shanghai have established parent-friendly posts, benefiting nearly 7,000 mothers and fathers.

Employers believe that offering flexibility not only helps keep skilled staff but can also boost productivity.

There is pent-up demand. A 2024 survey by the China Women's Development Foundation found that 78.4 percent of full-time mothers cited lack of childcare as the primary reason for leaving employment; more than 80 percent said they hoped to return to paid work.

Some companies are working to create a parent-friendly climate in more aspects.

Trip.com Group offers "child-accompaniment leave," giving employees with young children an extra three days of paid annual leave. Some companies run summer childcare programs, sometimes let kids hang out at the office, or organize family-friendly events.

Zhuo Qun, department manager at HuGang International Consulting Group Company Limited, had a tough time getting back to work after the birth of her second child. The company let her ease back in at her own pace and still kept her chances for promotion open.

"Competition for management roles was intense, but support from supervisors and colleagues helped me regain confidence and move into a managerial position," she said.

Around 70 percent of middle and senior managers at her firm are women. "Caring responsibilities should not hinder promotion," said Shen Yongming, the firm's administration director. "Employees with ability and commitment are given equal opportunities to advance."

The "Parent-friendly Posts" program is similar to an earlier initiative known as "Mom Posts" in Zhongshan, a manufacturing hub in Guangdong Province, which adopted the initiative to ease factory worker shortages. Many other cities in Guangdong, Shandong, Hubei and Beijing have followed suit.

Parent-friendly practices should spread to more sectors, said Qing Shisong, a professor of population studies at East China Normal University, noting such practices will benefit the whole society, businesses, and employees.