At a press conference on 10th September 2015, Czech Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, Michaela Marksova, unveiled four planned measures to support families. Day care leave, parental benefit adjustments and paternity leave should be in place by 1st January 2017. The pilot project of "micro nurseries" could be launched from 1st January 2016.
1. Day care leave
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Support for employed informal caregivers.
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Introduction of claimable "care leave" for the period of 3 to 6 months for a caregiver.
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Caregivers to be entitled to financial assistance for care - attendance allowance (60% of the daily assessment base).
2. Parental benefit adjustments
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Possibility to withdraw the entire maternity (parental) benefit within one year after the birth of the child.
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Possibility to get the total amount allocated for maternity (parental) benefit (CZK 220,000) in one month.
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Possibility for people who are not entitled to receive maternity (parental) benefit to get a benefit of up to CZK 7,600.
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Complete abolition of the current requirement of monitoring children's attendance at preschool facilities.
3. Paternal postnatal care
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New benefit to be granted to fathers of newly born children derived from their sickness insurance (70% of the daily assessment base).
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Duration of paternity leave - 1 week.
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Possibility to take paternity leave at any time in the 6 weeks after the birth of the child.
4. Preschool care
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The pilot project of "micro nurseries" for children from 6 months of age in a small group of four children per caregiver, funded by the European Social Fund.
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Implementation of the "micro nurseries" project in three regions of the Czech Republic which have the highest demand for preschool care facilities: Prague, Central Bohemia, and South Moravia.
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Support of children's groups. Announcement of new calls from the European Social Fund for the establishment and operation of children's groups starting in October 2015.
The presentation and other materials from the press conference can be found at http://www.mpsv.cz/cs/21781.
What pro-family measures do you think still need to be implemented?
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