KMT Vice Presidential candidate Chang San-cheng and other party officials have highlighted the details of the party’s proposed plan for child care subsidies.
Taiwan’s birth rate has been declining for more than a decade. In 2018, the number of those 65 years and older surpassed those under 15. As the population moves further in that direction, Taiwan will become a super aged society by 2026 when those 65 or older are projected to account for 20% of the population.
In an effort to tackle what is potentially a national security issue, opposition KMT candidate Han Kuo-yu proposed a subsidy to encourage people to have children. Senior KMT officials highlighted some of the subsidy’s details during a press conference on Monday. These include a one-time subsidy of NT$30,000 (US$984) for all firstborns, and a subsidy of NT$60,000 (US$1968) for second-born children. All families with children under the age of six will also receive a separate annual subsidy of NT$60,000.
The subsidy package also covers part of early childhood education. The subsidy would pay for kindergarten tuition for children three years or older. The KMT officials also said they are looking to set up child development centers to help educate toddlers younger than three.
KMT Vice Presidential Candidate Chang San-cheng said that the package will cost NT$57 billion (US$1.87 billion) per year when the number of children covered reaches its peak.