A child-rearing allowance and daycare subsidy are to be increased by NT$1,000 per month, the Social and Family Affairs Administration said yesterday.
The new policy is part of the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s plan to counter Taiwan’s declining birthrate, the agency said, adding that the increases would take effect today.
The ministry’s plan, which continues to 2024, was passed by the Executive Yuan earlier this year, the agency said, adding that it is part of an initiative by President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) to help parents with children of up to six years old.
The allowance, which is paid to parents with children of up to two years old, would be raised from NT$2,500 to NT$3,500 per month, and bonuses of NT$500 would be paid for the second child and NT$1,000 for the third child, it said.
The daycare subsidy, which is paid to parents who send their child of up to two years to a certain kind of daycare center or employ a licensed babysitter, would be raised from NT$6,000 to NT$7,000 per month, and bonuses of NT$1,000 would be paid for the second child and NT$2,000 for the third child, the agency said.
The programs are open to parents or legal guardians whose gross consolidated income in the past year was less than the reporting standard or whose personal income tax rate is below 20 percent, the agency said, adding that people cannot participate in both programs.
Administration Deputy Director-General Lee Lin-feng (李臨鳳) said that eligible people who enrolled in the two programs last month would not have to apply again to benefit from the increases.
The new policy allows people to benefit from the programs even when they receive parental leave allowance, or subsidies for disadvantaged children or adolescents, Lee said.
People who receive parental leave allowance, or subsidies for disadvantaged children or adolescents, and have become eligible under the new policy can apply for the child-rearing allowance at their local district office, and the daycare subsidy at licensed infantcare centers, the agency said.
Flyers with information about the new policy were on Friday last week sent to about 340,000 households with children up to two yearsold , it said, adding that people who have questions about the policy should call the 1957 social welfare hotline.
The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) yesterday said it had deployed patrol vessels to expel a China Coast Guard ship and a Chinese fishing boat near Pratas Island (Dongsha Island, 東沙群島) in the South China Sea. The China Coast Guard vessel was 28 nautical miles (52km) northeast of Pratas at 6:15am on Thursday, approaching the island’s restricted waters, which extend 24 nautical miles from its shoreline, the CGA’s Dongsha-Nansha Branch said in a statement. The Tainan, a 2,000-tonne cutter, was deployed by the CGA to shadow the Chinese ship, which left the area at 2:39pm on Friday, the statement said. At 6:31pm on Friday,
PEAK MONTHS: Data showed that on average 25 to 27 typhoons formed in the Pacific and South China seas annually, with about four forming per month in July and October One of three tropical depressions in the Pacific strengthened into a typhoon yesterday afternoon, while two others are expected to become typhoons by today, Central Weather Administration (CWA) forecaster Lee Ming-hsiang (李名翔) said yesterday. The outer circulation of Tropical Depression No. 20, now Typhoon Mitag, has brought light rain to Hualien, Taitung and areas in the south, Lee said, adding that as of 2pm yesterday, Mitag was moving west-northwest at 16kph, but is not expected to directly affect Taiwan. It was possible that Tropical Depression No. 21 would become a typhoon as soon as last night, he said. It was moving in a
The American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) put Taiwan in danger, Ma Ying-jeou Foundation director Hsiao Hsu-tsen (蕭旭岑) said yesterday, hours after the de facto US embassy said that Beijing had misinterpreted World War II-era documents to isolate Taiwan. The AIT’s comments harmed the Republic of China’s (ROC) national interests and contradicted a part of the “six assurances” stipulating that the US would not change its official position on Taiwan’s sovereignty, Hsiao said. The “six assurances,” which were given by then-US president Ronald Reagan to Taiwan in 1982, say that Washington would not set a date for ending arm sales to Taiwan, consult
A Taiwanese academic yesterday said that Chinese Ambassador to Denmark Wang Xuefeng (王雪峰) disrespected Denmark and Japan when he earlier this year allegedly asked Japan’s embassy to make Taiwan’s representatives leave an event in Copenhagen. The Danish-language Berlingske on Sunday reported the incident in an article with the headline “The emperor’s birthday ended in drama in Copenhagen: More conflict may be on the way between Denmark and China.” It said that on Feb. 26, the Japanese embassy in Denmark held an event for Japanese Emperor Naruhito’s birthday, with about 200 guests in attendance, including representatives from Taiwan. After addressing the Japanese hosts, Wang
RSS