Parents to receive extra month of allowance if both take full leave allowance

Taipei, May 7 (CNA) The government plans to amend relevant laws to grant each parent an additional month of parental leave allowance if both apply for the full six months of parental leave allowance, in a bid to encourage more equal sharing of childcare responsibilities, the Cabinet said Thursday.

Under current regulations, parents may take up to two years of parental leave before a child turns 3. Those covered by employment insurance are eligible for parental leave allowances for up to six months per child, receiving 60 percent of their insured salary plus an additional 20 percent subsidized by the government.

Speaking after a Cabinet meeting, Cabinet spokesperson Michelle Lee (李慧芝) quoted Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) as saying that the government already eased parental leave rules starting Jan. 1, 2026, allowing leave to be taken by the day rather than only by the month.

Labor Minister Hung Sun-han (洪申翰) also said in March that the ministry was discussing raising the eligible child age for parental leave benefits to 6 years old.

Separately on Thursday, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers Ngalim Tiunn (張雅琳) and Chen Chun-yu (陳俊宇), along with Taiwan Labour Front Secretary-General Yang Shu-wei (楊書瑋) and Childcare Policy Alliance convener Wang Chao-ching (王兆慶), held a press conference calling for broader childcare support measures.

The group advocated for more flexible parental leave arrangements, childcare leave and flexible working hours, as well as extending parental leave eligibility to parents with children aged 12 years and under. They also called for parents to be allowed to receive both childcare and daycare service allowances simultaneously.

The current system oversimplifies childcare by forcing families to choose between caring for children themselves or relying on daycare services, making the two allowances mutually exclusive, Ngalim Tiunn said.

In reality, parents whose children attend daycare still need to provide care at night, on holidays, during illness or when classes are suspended, she added.

Childcare allowances support basic caregiving needs, while daycare service allowances help families access external care services, meaning the two serve different purposes, Ngalim Tiunn noted.

Flexible leave arrangements and working hours remain important even after children begin school, as parents still face pressure from school pick-ups, holidays, weekends and unexpected class suspensions, she said.

Childcare pressures do not end once children reach age 6, and parents need clearer support mechanisms to deal with emergencies or unexpected situations, Chen said.

The proportion of men applying for parental leave has increased noticeably since rules were relaxed, showing that greater flexibility and incentives can help share childcare responsibilities more evenly, Yang added.

Wang cited international research showing that long working hours contribute to low birth rates, adding that flexible working arrangements and extending parental leave eligibility will not only support families but also encourage businesses and workplaces to better address caregiving responsibilities.

According to Ministry of Labor statistics, men accounted for 26.02 percent of parental leave allowance applications in 2025, up from 16.49 percent in 2009.