NGO calls for universal affordable childcare, flexible parental leave

Taipei, Nov. 14 (CNA) Nongovernmental organization (NGO) Childcare Policy Alliance on Thursday called on the government to establish universal affordable childcare and more flexible parental leave systems to help boost Taiwan's low birth rates.

The NGO pointed out that research from multiple countries shows the key to boosting the birth rate is "supporting women to balance work and family."

Huang Chiao-ling (黃喬鈴), the spokesperson of the NGO, argued that the "correct" policies to achieve this would be expanding affordable childcare services for children 0-12 years of age, as well as establishing flexible parental leave systems that allow employees to take time off in units of hours or days.

She stated that overseas studies have shown that the latter policy could lead to more men participating in childcare.

The government needs to shatter the division of labor gender stereotype and support "dual income, dual childcare" to encourage more young couples to have children.

The NGO said the government is failing to do this by sticking to its policies, including distributing childcare allowance in its current form, extending parental leave and focusing on women reentering the workforce, which it said were less effective.

Huang said that the childcare allowance is insufficient to cover the costs of long-term childcare, can be harmful to child development and often leads to women dropping out of the workforce.

Furthermore, in the current parental leave system, the minimum block of time that can be requested is 30 days, which Huang said is too rigid and unhelpful to parents who may need time off on a more ad-hoc basis.

Huang also argued that the government's promotion of women "reentering" the workforce was evidence that the current system is failing to support women staying in employment.

She said that the government budget should be spent on more effective policies and argued that policies such as, "returning to the family for childcare" and "women reentering the workforce," merely force women to quit their jobs.

Secretary-General of the Awakening Foundation Chyn Yu-rung (覃玉蓉) echoed the sentiments, saying that the government should not just simply keep distributing money to parents.

Instead, it should contemplate what kinds of problems are being faced by parents and devise cross-departmental policies to address a family's childcare needs, she added.