Taipei to introduce Taiwan's first postpartum meal allowance

Taipei, Aug. 19 (CNA) Taipei will introduce Taiwan's first postpartum meal allowance program in 2027, providing NT$30,000 (US$940) per delivery and benefiting about 11,000 mothers each year, the city government announced Wednesday.

Speaking at a press conference, Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said the program aims to help mothers maintain their physical and mental well-being by easing the financial burden of postpartum care.

Chiang said his wife had told him that mothers can experience mood swings after giving birth and may face heightened anxiety after their first delivery as they adjust to changes in their identity and lives.

The eligibility requirements for the planned allowance will be the same as those for the city's Childbirth Incentive Payment. Applicants will have to have been registered residents of Taipei for at least 10 months, including where one of the parents is a foreign national.

Meanwhile, the capital also announced several other measures to support marriage and childbirth.

Starting in October, the subsidy for its maternity taxi program will increase from NT$8,000 to NT$10,000, while the period during which the subsidy can be used will be extended from six months to one year after the expected delivery date, according to the city government.

For families with infants, the city will provide electronic vouchers for eight hours of free temporary babysitting. Applications are expected to open in September for families with infants born in 2026 who are between 6 months and 1 year old.

These vouchers can be used flexibly until the child turns 2, the city said.

Special clinics for new families will also be established in October, bringing together pediatricians, nurses, social workers and dietitians, the city said, adding that these clinics will provide mental health and parenting skills assessments, among other services.

Starting on Aug. 31, when the 2026 school year starts, subsidies for 5-year-old children enrolled in private preschools in Taipei will increase by NT$5,000, bringing the subsidy to between NT$7,543 and NT$17,543 per semester depending on household income.

For children aged 2-4, the city will adjust the income threshold for excluding higher-income families from private preschool subsidies and expand eligibility, it added.

The city will also continue its policy of reserving 20 percent of social housing units for couples married within the past two years or families with minor children. This will ensure about 10,000 housing units for such families.

The city will also ease social housing lease renewal requirements related to school enrollment, no longer limiting eligible children to schools within the social housing district or their designated school districts.

Meanwhile, subsidies for egg freezing will increase from NT$32,000 to NT$72,000, with the new amount expected to take effect in January 2027, the city said.