Babytree partners with Fisher-Price for learning center

Babytree, the largest and most-visited Chinese parenting website, announced yesterday a partnership with toymaker Fisher-Price to launch an early learning center next year.

Earlier this year, Mattel Inc, parent company of Fisher-Price and the world's biggest toymaker, has been in talks with the Chinese investment conglomerate Fosun Group on the possibility of tapping the Chinese early education market. During yesterday's convention, the Fosun-sponsored website Babytree revealed the child care center project with Fisher-Price.

"Our goal is to open up 500 centers next year and we are eyeing 3,000 in the next three years," said Wei Xiaowei, vice-president of Babytree.

The first center, located in the outskirts of Beijing, is currently on a trial run.

According to Wei, compared to other early learning centers, the Babytree and Fisher Price Play Center will pay more attention to the physical and mental needs of mothers. For example, the center will be equipped with gyms and libraries for mothers to relax. It will also add a special room for mental consultancy.

"According to our survey, a third of new mothers feel depressed, under-valued and suffer from anxiety in their choice between career and family," Wei said.

Wei said those feelings are usually neglected and hard for other family members to relate to, and the company is currently working on how to help those mothers.