The monthly child-rearing allowance for children aged two to five is to be increased to NT$5,000 in August, the Ministry of Education said on Friday.
The increase is part of the Executive Yuan’s initiative to address the “alarming decline” in Taiwan’s birthrate, the ministry said.
The initiative covers last year to 2024, and seeks to reduce child-rearing burdens by offering affordable education and care services, lowering tuition fees and increasing the child allowance.
Photo: CNA
The allowance for children aged two to five is being increased in two phases.
The first increase was in August last year, when the subsidy jumped from NT$2,500 to NT$3,500.
The second increase to come in August raises the subsidy to NT$5,000, the ministry said.
To qualify, parents must provide proof that they have a combined income taxed at less than 20 percent, and plan to raise a child without government aid such as public childcare centers.
When both requirements are met, parents are eligible to receive a monthly payment of NT$5,000 for their first child, NT$6,000 for a second child, and a monthly payment of NT$7,000 for each additional child.
Educational subsidies are also to be increased for children aged two to six years, and who attend public, nonprofit or quasi-public preschools, where tuition fees are capped at NT$1,000, NT$2,000 and NT$3,000 respectively, with additional allowances for further children, the Executive Yuan said, adding that tuition is to be waived for lower-income households, it said.
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