Legislators and Civic Groups Assist Child-Rearing Families, Hope to Extend Flexible Parental Leave Policy to 12 Years Old
To combat the declining birthrate, Taiwanese legislators and civic groups are advocating for an extension of flexible parental leave policies to cover children up to 12 years old. They also propose allowing parents to receive both childcare allowances and subsidies, moving away from the current 'either-or' system, and promoting flexible working hours to better support families.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 7, 2026 at 14:04
- 🔍 Collected: May 7, 2026 at 14:31 (27 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 7, 2026 at 15:07 (35 min after Collected)
Central News Agency
(Central News Agency reporter Wang Yang-yu, Taipei 7th) On the eve of Mother's Day, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators Chang Ya-lin and Chen Chun-yu, along with civic groups, stated today that addressing the declining birthrate cannot rely solely on encouraging births; instead, institutional support should be provided to child-rearing families, such as flexible working hours, and childcare allowances and subsidies should not be a complete 'either-or' choice. They also hope to extend the flexible parental leave policy to cover children up to 12 years old.
Chang Ya-lin, Chen Chun-yu, Yang Shu-wei, Secretary-General of the Taiwan Labor Front Association, and Wang Chao-ching, Convener of the Alliance for Childcare and Employment Policies, held a press conference today at the Legislative Yuan titled "Work and Children Should Not Be an Either-Or Choice, National Support for 0-12 Years Old Without Interruption." They put forward the above claims, hoping that all families can be stably supported by policies at every stage of their children's lives, from birth to entering kindergarten and elementary school.
Chang Ya-lin stated that the current system often simplifies families into two choices: 'self-care' or 'entrustment,' making childcare allowances and subsidies mutually exclusive. However, in reality, many families still bear the responsibility of care during evenings, holidays, when children are sick, when childcare is suspended, or when schools are temporarily closed, even if their children attend childcare during the day.
Chang Ya-lin believes that childcare allowances provide basic care support for children, while childcare subsidies help families obtain care services. These two functions are different and parents should not be forced to choose one over the other.
Chang Ya-lin pointed out that family-friendly policies should respond to the daily time pressure faced by parents. After children enter elementary school, picking them up, winter and summer vacations, illness, and temporary school closures still represent a heavy burden on families. The government should extend childcare support from '0-6 years old' to '0-12 years old,' promoting flexible parental leave, child care leave, and family-friendly flexible working hours, so that parents do not have to choose between work and care.
Chen Chun-yu said that the government's promotion of 'The Nation Raises Children Together from 0-6 Years Old' has achieved results in recent years, but the pressure of raising children does not end after children turn 6. He supports family-friendly policies, but children's right to education and parents' right to work should not be disjointed. The government should proactively examine relevant regulations to provide institutional support for parents during children's emergencies.
Chen Chun-yu further stated that the public sector should lead by example, and enterprises should also address employees' childcare needs, jointly establishing a family-friendly workplace environment that parents can 'see and use,' truly achieving 'The Nation Accompanies You in Raising Children from 0-12 Years Old.'
Yang Shu-wei pointed out that after the phased relaxation of the parental leave without pay system, the proportion of male applicants has significantly increased, indicating that as long as the system is flexible and offers incentives, care responsibilities have the opportunity to be redistributed.
Wang Chao-ching stated that international studies indicate that long working hours reduce the total fertility rate, and extending flexible working hours and parental leave support to 12 years old is not just about helping child-rearing families, but also about enabling businesses, supervisors, and colleagues to learn how to coordinate, divide labor, and support care responsibilities. (Editor: Zhai Si-chia) 1150507
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(Central News Agency reporter Wang Yang-yu, Taipei 7th) On the eve of Mother's Day, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators Chang Ya-lin and Chen Chun-yu, along with civic groups, stated today that addressing the declining birthrate cannot rely solely on encouraging births; instead, institutional support should be provided to child-rearing families, such as flexible working hours, and childcare allowances and subsidies should not be a complete 'either-or' choice. They also hope to extend the flexible parental leave policy to cover children up to 12 years old.
Chang Ya-lin, Chen Chun-yu, Yang Shu-wei, Secretary-General of the Taiwan Labor Front Association, and Wang Chao-ching, Convener of the Alliance for Childcare and Employment Policies, held a press conference today at the Legislative Yuan titled "Work and Children Should Not Be an Either-Or Choice, National Support for 0-12 Years Old Without Interruption." They put forward the above claims, hoping that all families can be stably supported by policies at every stage of their children's lives, from birth to entering kindergarten and elementary school.
Chang Ya-lin stated that the current system often simplifies families into two choices: 'self-care' or 'entrustment,' making childcare allowances and subsidies mutually exclusive. However, in reality, many families still bear the responsibility of care during evenings, holidays, when children are sick, when childcare is suspended, or when schools are temporarily closed, even if their children attend childcare during the day.
Chang Ya-lin believes that childcare allowances provide basic care support for children, while childcare subsidies help families obtain care services. These two functions are different and parents should not be forced to choose one over the other.
Chang Ya-lin pointed out that family-friendly policies should respond to the daily time pressure faced by parents. After children enter elementary school, picking them up, winter and summer vacations, illness, and temporary school closures still represent a heavy burden on families. The government should extend childcare support from '0-6 years old' to '0-12 years old,' promoting flexible parental leave, child care leave, and family-friendly flexible working hours, so that parents do not have to choose between work and care.
Chen Chun-yu said that the government's promotion of 'The Nation Raises Children Together from 0-6 Years Old' has achieved results in recent years, but the pressure of raising children does not end after children turn 6. He supports family-friendly policies, but children's right to education and parents' right to work should not be disjointed. The government should proactively examine relevant regulations to provide institutional support for parents during children's emergencies.
Chen Chun-yu further stated that the public sector should lead by example, and enterprises should also address employees' childcare needs, jointly establishing a family-friendly workplace environment that parents can 'see and use,' truly achieving 'The Nation Accompanies You in Raising Children from 0-12 Years Old.'
Yang Shu-wei pointed out that after the phased relaxation of the parental leave without pay system, the proportion of male applicants has significantly increased, indicating that as long as the system is flexible and offers incentives, care responsibilities have the opportunity to be redistributed.
Wang Chao-ching stated that international studies indicate that long working hours reduce the total fertility rate, and extending flexible working hours and parental leave support to 12 years old is not just about helping child-rearing families, but also about enabling businesses, supervisors, and colleagues to learn how to coordinate, divide labor, and support care responsibilities. (Editor: Zhai Si-chia) 1150507
Choose to stand with facts. Every sponsorship is a force to protect press freedom.
Download CNA's "First-hand News" App to get the latest news instantly.
The text, images, and audio-visual content on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, publicly transmitted, or used without authorization.