Minister of Labor Hong Shenhan (2nd from left) pointed out today that from next year, the childcare leave will be extended until the age of 9, and parents can receive subsidies for up to 18 months. (Photo by reporter Li Lianghui)
[Reporter Li Jinghui/Report from Taipei] Ms. Wang’s daughter is 5 years old this year. Shortly after the birth of the child, Ms. Wang and her husband each took 6 months of parental leave. Both parties received 6 months of childcare leave allowance. After the amendments to the "Gender Equality Work Law" and the "Employment Insurance Law" were implemented on January 1 next year, Ms. Wang "Before her daughter reaches the age of 9," she and her husband will each be able to take three more months of "childcare leave without pay." Each of these three months will receive a subsidy of 80% of the insured salary. What makes Ms. Wang even more happy is that for 60 days of these three months, she can flexibly take "daily" parental leave. Even if she takes leave to attend the school's parent-teacher conference, there will be a salary subsidy.
The Legislative Yuan passed the amendments to the "Gender Equality at Work Law" and the "Employment Insurance Law" on the third reading today (13th). It not only extended the maternity leave to 14 weeks, paternity check-up and paternity leave to 14 days, but also extended the number of paternity leave to 14 days. It also provides benefits to approximately 929,000 children under the age of 9. For parents of children, the more direct incentive is that the original "childcare leave without pay" before the child is 3 years old has been extended to the "childcare leave without pay" before the child reaches the age of 9. Parents have the opportunity to receive a "childcare allowance" of up to 18 months and 80% of the insured salary.
Huang Qiya, Director of the Department of Labor Conditions and Employment Equality of the Ministry of Labor, pointed out that according to statistics, about 929,000 workers currently covered by employment insurance have children "under the age of 9". The parents of these children, as long as they have not taken full parental leave in the past two years, they will not be eligible for employment insurance in the past two years. After January 1 next year, if the child is under 9 years old, parents can continue to apply for the remaining "childcare leave with pay" before the child reaches 9 years old. As long as both parents have been employed for 6 months, they can receive 3 more months of "childcare leave with pay" with subsidies.
It doesn’t matter if only the mother took 6 months of parental leave and received the subsidy. Huang Qiya said that before the child reaches 9 years old, the father can also apply for the 6-month “childcare leave without pay” with subsidy subsidy. When the father’s 6-month subsidy is full, the government will add an additional 3 months of “childcare leave without pay” subsidy for each of the two parents, giving a total of 18 months.
In the past, after female workers gave birth and took maternity leave, they had to consider whether to take "parental leave" before the child turned 3 years old. Huang Qiya, director of the Labor Conditions and Employment Equality Department of the Ministry of Labor, pointed out that after listening to the suggestions of civil society and legislators, the Ministry of Labor considered the challenges that children face when transitioning from kindergarten to the lower grades of national elementary schools, such as adapting to group living and the incidence of infectious diseases. This revision of the law will increase the "childcare leave" that can be applied for by children under the age of 3 to "under 8 years old and before the age of 9". The period is limited to 2 years. For 6 months, you can apply for the "Child Care Stay Allowance Subsidy". If both parents have claimed the child care allowance for 6 months, each of the two parents can claim the child care stay allowance for an additional 3 months. In other words, each can claim the child care stay allowance for up to 9 months. The total number of parents can claim the child care stay allowance for up to 18 months.
Not only that, the current 30-day "daily-based" childcare leave without pay will be upgraded and doubled to a 60-day "parental leave" in the future, which is included in the two-year "childcare leave without pay". It is also before the child reaches the age of 9. Parents can take parental leave if their child is sick, has to suspend child care, suspend classes, receive vaccinations, have child care and education service institutions and schools to hold parenting activities, or for other reasons that require personal care. The new law is expected to be implemented on January 1 next year.
