Hangzhou dad awarded China's first 'parent's license'

A father of two in Hangzhou city has become the first person in China to receive a parent's license, reports Qianjiang Evening News.

Ma Xiaomin (R), a father of two, receives China's first parent's license in Hangzhou on Tuesday, May 16, 2017. [Photo: Weibo]

The first "star parent's license" was awarded this week to Ma Xiaomin, who has two children aged 1 and 3.

The project was initiated by Shangcheng district to teach better parenting, said Xiang Haigang, chief of the local education bureau. It targets parents with children from 0 to 15 years old.

After registering on an official WeChat social media platform, parents gain access to a series of special lessons.

The official WeChat platform of the "star parent's license" project. [Photo: eol.cn]

Each of the online lessons lasts no longer than a few minutes, and are divided into different sections, such as prenatal care, postpartum nursing, baby healthcare, good habit formation for babies and pre-kindergarten preparations.

In each section, there is detailed information teaching parents how to deal with certain situations.

"I found the answers to many of my questions about looking after my children," new license holder Ma Xiaomin said, adding that it was convenient to watch the short videos on the subway while commuting or during work breaks.

Parents attend an educational activity. [Photo: eol.cn]

Apart from watching lessons online, parents on the scheme have to attend occasional offline 'real world' activities if they want to get the license.

Successful parents can then get priority access to educational activities in the future.

In addition to learning childcare knowledge, parents are also encouraged to share their own experiences on the platform, said Xiang Haigang, adding that the project will be expanded to parents beyond the district to benefit more people.