In response to the national security crisis posed by Taiwan's declining birth rate, the government has launched a raft of family support measures as part of its new population strategy. These measures address the challenges arising from demographic change, strengthen support and investment in future generations, and elevate childbearing and childrearing responsibilities to the level of national development policy. Focusing on three stages of family life—childbirth, childrearing and education—the initiative establishes a more comprehensive support system and extends assistance for young people through age 22, making it easier to marry and start families.
Priority areas for support
■ Ensuring a secure start for families: Introduce a monthly subsidy of NT$5,000 (approximately US$160) for each child from birth until age 18. Match families' monthly deposits, dollar for dollar, in savings accounts set up for the educational development of children and youth from disadvantaged households. Offer assisted reproduction subsidies to women under age 45, ranging from NT$60,000 to NT$150,000 (approx. US$1,900 to US$4,700) based on age and number of attempts. For each birth, provide a NT$100,000 (approx. US$3,200) maternity payment to insured individuals, or an equivalent childbirth subsidy for uninsured individuals.
■ Strengthening child care: Increase child care subsidies and childrearing allowances for children aged zero to two. Raise tuition subsidies and childrearing allowances for children aged two to six. Enhance children's health care services while strengthening early intervention programs. Expand the capacity of affordable child care services. Support businesses by offering higher tax deductions on child care expenses.
■ Increasing investment in education: Reduce student loan interest rates from 1.775% to 0.775% and extend student loan grace periods from one year to two years. Continue to implement tuition-free education for all students at senior and vocational high schools, subsidize tuition fees for private college and university students, and issue campus housing allowances for higher education students.
■ Promoting family-friendly workplaces: Extend the length of marriage leave, maternity leave and paternity leave. Grant each parent an additional three months of allowance if both parents each take six months of unpaid parental leave with allowance. Upgrade infant care leave into a broader child care leave system, extending eligibility from ages three and under to ages six and under. Widen eligibility for flexible or reduced work hours, from employees with children aged three and under to those with children aged 12 and under. Provide companies with subsidies to offset the recruitment and training costs of substitute personnel, as well as interim cover allowances to address employee absences, thus mitigating the impact of marriage-, childbirth- and parenting-related leave.
■ Easing housing pressures: Expand tax relief for families with children. Reserve 40% of social housing units for newlyweds and parents of young children. Raise rental subsidies for newlyweds married within the past two years to 1.5 times the standard rate, with an additional 0.5 times per child born. Supply home renovation subsidies to install or repair child-safety features.