Taiwan is removing the income limit on subsidies for young children. That’s according to new guidelines made public by the Cabinet on Thursday.
In May, the Education Ministry announced an increase in subsidies for young children. Parents with children aged 2 to 5 years old can now receive a monthly subsidy of NT$5,000 (US$155). That’s double the subsidy available two years ago. But parents were required to be in a lower tax bracket to qualify for the assistance.
On Thursday the Cabinet released new guidelines removing the income limit on the subsidies. Now all parents are eligible for the assistance regardless of income. The Cabinet says five year old children not attending school will also be eligible for subsidies. It says the new guidelines will extend benefits to an additional 42,000 children.
The subsidies are part of a wider government initiative to address Taiwan’s alarming decline in birth rates. Part of that includes reducing the burden of raising children. Taiwan’s birth rate of 0.89 births per woman is one of the lowest in the world.