Government to Cover Wage Costs for New 0-18 Support Plan, Says Ministry of Labor
The Executive Yuan will promote a "Comprehensive Support Plan for Ages 0 to 18," which includes upgrading flexible parental leave and extending maternity leave. Minister of Labor Hung Sun-han stated on the 19th that the government will cover the new wage costs incurred. The plan also includes allowances for job deputies, subsidies for new hires, and incentives, with a special focus on supporting small and medium-sized enterprises. The entire proposal is expected to be approved by the Executive Yuan Council on the 28th.
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- 📰 Published: May 19, 2026 at 14:54
- 🔍 Collected: May 19, 2026 at 15:32 (37 min after Published)
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(CNA, Taipei, May 19, by reporter Wu Hsin-yun) The Executive Yuan is set to launch a comprehensive support plan for ages 0 to 18, which includes upgrading flexible parental leave and extending maternity leave. Minister of Labor Hung Sun-han said today that the government will bear the additional wage costs, and also plans to provide allowances for job deputies, subsidies for hiring new personnel, and other incentives.
As the Lai administration approaches its second anniversary in power, Premier Cho Jung-tai, Vice Premier Cheng Li-chun, and Secretary-General Chang Tun-han attended the Executive Yuan's 520 press conference today. At the conference, they announced the upcoming launch of the comprehensive support plan for ages 0 to 18. The plan includes upgrading flexible parental leave to "childcare leave" with the applicable age raised to 6, and a more reasonable structuring of marriage leave, maternity leave, and paternity leave. The entire package is expected to be submitted to the Executive Yuan Council for approval on the 28th.
Hung Sun-han told the media this afternoon that for the 0-18 support plan, the Ministry of Labor is conducting a comprehensive review of related systems and regulations. It is also giving special consideration to the dilemma faced by working parents who lack time for childcare, sometimes forcing them to choose between their career and family, and is contemplating a new support scheme.
Regarding the design of the family-friendly workplace component, Hung said that in addition to expanding and extending existing support, there are several key objectives. These include encouraging fathers to participate more in childcare. Experience with flexible parental leave shows that the more flexible the system, the higher the chance of fathers' involvement. Expanding flexible childcare leave or increasing incentives for leave of absence would encourage more fathers to be supportive partners, as would paternity and prenatal check-up leaves.
Furthermore, Hung stated that while supporting workers' childcare rights, it is also necessary to reduce the burden on enterprises. He confirmed that funding and budget have been secured, and the wage costs for all additional family-friendly leaves in the plan will be covered by the government.
Regarding workforce arrangements, Hung mentioned that many large corporations have already established systems for job deputy allowances and hiring replacements. This new plan will also include additional allowances for job deputies, subsidies for hiring new personnel, and rewards, "especially for small and medium-sized enterprises."
In response to the Executive Yuan's proposal for a more reasonable planning of maternity leave, Hung expressed hope that the current system could be more empathetic and gentle towards new mothers. Therefore, extending maternity leave is being included in the review. Maternity leave is crucial for the physical and mental recovery of mothers, and significant research shows it helps reduce postpartum depression, benefiting both employees and employers.
Hung emphasized that in recent years, businesses of all sizes have expressed that in an era of labor shortages, creating a family-friendly workplace is increasingly important for attracting and retaining talent. If a company's workplace policies are rigid and unsupportive of family care, competitive employees are more likely to leave, which is detrimental to the company's personnel stability.
As the Lai administration approaches its second anniversary in power, Premier Cho Jung-tai, Vice Premier Cheng Li-chun, and Secretary-General Chang Tun-han attended the Executive Yuan's 520 press conference today. At the conference, they announced the upcoming launch of the comprehensive support plan for ages 0 to 18. The plan includes upgrading flexible parental leave to "childcare leave" with the applicable age raised to 6, and a more reasonable structuring of marriage leave, maternity leave, and paternity leave. The entire package is expected to be submitted to the Executive Yuan Council for approval on the 28th.
Hung Sun-han told the media this afternoon that for the 0-18 support plan, the Ministry of Labor is conducting a comprehensive review of related systems and regulations. It is also giving special consideration to the dilemma faced by working parents who lack time for childcare, sometimes forcing them to choose between their career and family, and is contemplating a new support scheme.
Regarding the design of the family-friendly workplace component, Hung said that in addition to expanding and extending existing support, there are several key objectives. These include encouraging fathers to participate more in childcare. Experience with flexible parental leave shows that the more flexible the system, the higher the chance of fathers' involvement. Expanding flexible childcare leave or increasing incentives for leave of absence would encourage more fathers to be supportive partners, as would paternity and prenatal check-up leaves.
Furthermore, Hung stated that while supporting workers' childcare rights, it is also necessary to reduce the burden on enterprises. He confirmed that funding and budget have been secured, and the wage costs for all additional family-friendly leaves in the plan will be covered by the government.
Regarding workforce arrangements, Hung mentioned that many large corporations have already established systems for job deputy allowances and hiring replacements. This new plan will also include additional allowances for job deputies, subsidies for hiring new personnel, and rewards, "especially for small and medium-sized enterprises."
In response to the Executive Yuan's proposal for a more reasonable planning of maternity leave, Hung expressed hope that the current system could be more empathetic and gentle towards new mothers. Therefore, extending maternity leave is being included in the review. Maternity leave is crucial for the physical and mental recovery of mothers, and significant research shows it helps reduce postpartum depression, benefiting both employees and employers.
Hung emphasized that in recent years, businesses of all sizes have expressed that in an era of labor shortages, creating a family-friendly workplace is increasingly important for attracting and retaining talent. If a company's workplace policies are rigid and unsupportive of family care, competitive employees are more likely to leave, which is detrimental to the company's personnel stability.