Germany To Pay Salaries To Stay-At-Home-Parents To Boost Country's Declining Birth Rate
Shaveta Bansal - All Headline News Staff Writer Berlin, Germany (AHN) - The German Parliament on Friday passed a new legislation which will allow parents to take a paid leave to look after their newborn children. German authorities believe that the new measure will "fundamentally change the things for parents and their children," and will boost country's birth rate, which, at 1.36 children per woman, is one of the lowest in Europe. The measures will come into effect on January 1, 2007. Under the new law, the parents of children born after Jan.1, who have stopped work to look after the child will receive 67 percent of their net salary up to a ceiling of 1,800 euros ($2,280) for 12 months. However that could be extended by additional 2 months if the father undertakes the childcare for at least two months. On top of that, if both parents want to be off work simultaneously, they can each receive the payment for seven months. The parents who don't wish to altogether get away from work can also benefit from the new measure, provided they work for less than 30 hours a month. These payments will be raised by 10 percent for each additional child aged under six years in the household. "This is historic," said Family Minister Ursula van der Leyen, herself a mother of seven and a member of Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative Christian Democrats. "This law will fundamentally change things for parents and their children, |
