With Mother’s Day approaching, Taiwan’s Premier Chen Jianren stated on the 9th that the Ministry of Labor is working on a more flexible parental leave system, planning for at least a 5-day parental leave scheme and encouraging businesses to participate in the trial to create a more supportive workplace environment.
In recent years, the government has been actively promoting a family-friendly environment in Taiwan through measures such as expanding public childcare centers and daycare facilities, as well as increasing childcare subsidies, demonstrating the government’s commitment to supporting families.
Starting this year, the cost of childcare for each child has been reduced from 10-15% of the family’s disposable income to 5-10%. Subsidies for public daycare facilities have been increased from NT$5,500 to NT$7,000 per month, and for semi-public daycare services, the subsidy has been raised from NT$8,500 to NT$13,000 per person per month.
Premier Chen Jianren mentioned that since 2021, the government has increased the income replacement rate for parental leave salary subsidies to 80% and relaxed the application requirements to help parents achieve a balance between work and family.
According to statistics on parental leave subsidy applications for employed workers in 2023, the number of initial payouts totaled over 90,000 people, a 17.4% increase from 76,711 in 2020. Women saw a 7% increase, while men saw a 63% increase, indicating that the policies have effectively encouraged male participation in caregiving and reduced the burden on women.
On the 9th, several legislators held a press conference focusing on family-friendly childcare issues. Legislator Fan Yun pointed out that to encourage spouses to share caregiving responsibilities, prospective President Lai Ching-te proposed a policy where if both parents exhaust their parental leave entitlement, they could receive an additional month of subsidy, which she will push the Ministry of Labor to consider promptly.
Legislator Kuo Yuqing expressed hope that the government could be the strongest advocate for women and mothers, supporting them not only in the workplace environment, but also in terms of childbirth conditions, career planning, and family care.
Legislator Shen Boyang noted the complexity of Taiwan’s domestic adoption process, which delays many children from finding caring families promptly. It took him two years to complete the adoption process, highlighting the need for better regulations to care for waiting children. Additionally, adoptive families often face various temporary childcare needs, and he hopes society can provide a more friendly and flexible childcare environment.
Legislator Zhang Yalin stated that she has questioned the Ministry of Labor to promote flexible parental care leave and will also advocate for paid family care leave and the establishment of temporary care services. Legislator Chen Peiyu emphasized that single mothers juggle economic and caregiving responsibilities, including social welfare assistance and skills training when unemployed, a supportive workplace when employed, and access to loans and subsidies when starting a business, which are essential resources to support motherhood.
Legislator Lin Yueqin pointed out that babysitters spend 8 to 10 hours a day caring for children sent to daycare, and the government should provide resources for babysitters, such as stress relief, caregiving assistance, and mental health support. Legislator Luo Meiling highlighted that immigrant mothers prefer finding babysitters from the same linguistic and cultural backgrounds, emphasizing the importance of establishing better communication channels for a more immigrant-friendly childcare environment.