User:Reeceedwards111/Family Policy in Taiwan

Family policy in Taiwan refers to the policies adopted by the Taiwanese government to boost the country’s extremely low fertility rate, which as of 2019 was the lowest total fertility rate (TFR) in the world, an all-time low. It has been argued that the cause of these low birth rates is due the financial burden raising children has on mothers and couples. The government has since 2001 allocated an annual budget of around NTD 10 billion to boost fertility and has planned and initiated policies focusing on encourage young people to get married, give birth, and to provide aid and support raising children.

History
Since 1951, Taiwan’s population has faced a large decrease in birth rates and a sharp increase in the ageing population. Taiwan’s TFR reached a peak of 7.04 children per woman in 1951, compared to today’s 1.05 per woman. As a result, Taiwan also faces an ageing population issue; its population ageing index reached 76.21% in 2012 and is predicted to reach 199.4% by 2030, and 401.5% in 2060, meaning the elderly population will be four times that of the young population.

Five Year Family Planning Program
The decrease in fertility was catalysed by the 1964 Family Planning Programme (擴大進行台灣省家庭計畫五年方案) initiated by the Ministry of Health to curtail the island’s rapidly increasing birth rate. The programme had slogans such as ‘Implement a family plan to promote family happiness’ (「實施家庭計畫，促進家庭幸福」) and encouraged the use of oral contraceptives, Lippes Loops, and condoms. The programme also included 450 nation wide family planning workers assigned to township health stations. This act resulted in a higher availability and use of contraceptives, with Lippes Loops insertion in women increasing from 46,600 in the first year of the programme to 99,253.

Decline in marriage and move towards late childbearing
From the 1980’s onwards, much of Taiwan’s fertility decline has been associated with the decline in marriages. The 1980s also demonstrated the move to late childbearing, apparent in many Taiwanese women and married couples having children at a later age, seen in the fact that the 1980s saw an increase in childbearing rates for ages 35-44. Currently, the average age for women to give birth in Taiwan is 30.9 years old .This brings higher birth risk rates such as premature births, infertility and other complications.

Women and work
The female labour force in Taiwan has doubled from 1980 to 2012, meaning more women are focusing on their career and less on children. Women in Taiwan do not wish to forego earnings to become mothers and also do not wish to face the potential burdens of motherhood. Gender divisions within the home mean Taiwanese women have to partake in the double burden, or triple shift, meaning women do not want to sacrifice their personal lives for their family.

Housing
Rising prices of housing means younger people are finding it harder to move out of their parent’s homes and start a family of their own.

Population Policy White Paper
The Population Policy White Paper was introduced in Taiwan in 2008 by the Ministry of Interior, amended in 2013, in an effort to increase childbirth rates. The paper states multiple avenues through which it will increase the fertility rate: by creating more marriage opportunities, rebuilding family values, creating a diverse and accessible early childhood education system, having economic provisions for parenting households, as well as creating family-friendly workplace environments.

Appointment of Dr. James C.T. Hseuh
Following on from the Population Policy White Paper, in 2010, Dr. James C.T. Hsueh was appointed Minister without Portfolio to help raise childbirth rates. In his role, Dr. Hseuh advised President Ma to set up three policy themes to increase fertility. These were 1) Encourage young people to get married 2) Encourage young people to give birth 3) Provide aid and support raising children.

Encouraging marriage
The Taiwanese government enacted several policies to encourage its younger population to get married. In 2005 the government passed the Foreign Spouse Care Guidance Fund Management Association Act (外籍配偶照顧輔導基金管理會). ‘The government encouraged young people to get married when the economic situation began to show signs of recovery, which successfully resulted in over 21,000 more marriages in 2010 than in 2009, plus an additional 26,000 marriages in 2011. This increase in marriage in both 2010 and 2011 resulted in a jump in births in both 2011 and 2012’.

Encouraging maternity
These are policies which encourage women to become mothers, by easing the burden on women during pregnancy, and offering direct financial incentives.

Prenatal care
On December 28, 2021, the Legislative Yuan approved amendments to the Act of Gender Equality in Employment (性別工作平等法) which increased the number of paid leave for pregnancy check ups from five to seven days. The paid paternity leave for 5 days was also changed to paternity leave and accompanying pregnancy check up for 7 days. Employers are able to apply for subsidies from the government for the two additional days off. These amendments took effect on January 18, 2022.

In addition, the Health Promotion Administration, Ministry of Health and Welfare (衛生福利部國民健康署) increased the number of subsidised obstetric appointments from 10 to 14 with the aim of preventing pregnancy and labour complications and simultaneously expanded the types of screening tests.

Maternity allowance
Maternity allowance is paid to eligible mothers as a one-off payment after the birth of the child. Regulations on eligibility and the size of the allowance vary between jurisdictions, and varies depending on the number of children the couple has had. In some jurisdictions, the mother is eligible for an increasingly larger allowance for each additional child she has. Elsewhere, single births are treated the same regardless of the number, but an increased subsidy is given for twins or triplets.

Preschools
On July 25, 2018, The Executive Yuan approved a plan for the years 2018 to 2022 entitled “Countermeasures Against the Declining Birthrate in Taiwan.” The plan tackles the expansion of availability of public preschools and the adjustment of application criteria to encourage private preschools to become quasi-public. The plan would allow the government to provide families a more affordable alternative solution for their children’s education services by integrating with the preschools.

In order to encourage children over the age of 5 to go to school early, reduce the burden of the cost of schooling, and to bridge the gap to the beginning of compulsory education at primary school, tuition fees are lowered for the attendance of public, non-profit, and quasi-public preschools, with the subsidy being the same as for children under the age of 5.

Childcare subsidies
Childcare allowances are paid monthly to the parents to subsidise childcare costs, a major factor in dissuading couples from becoming parents, and a key policy. These allowances are managed nationally, so do not vary throughout Taiwan.

On 1 August 2021, the Government of Taiwan increased the childcare subsidy for parents with children under the age of 5 to NT$3,500 from NT$2,500. The Ministry of Health and Welfare will also raise the childcare subsidy to NT$5,000 one year’s time from the initial increase of the subsidy. Additionally, the daycare subsidy increased to NT$7,000 per month from NT$6,000 and will increase again to NT$8,500 in a year’s time.

Parental leave
Parental leave policies encourage couples to become parents as they allow new parents to take time off while retaining their job, and partially receiving an income. Parental leave is also managed nationally, so does not vary throughout Taiwan.

Both parents may take parental leave, it is not limited to just the mother. Parents may each take unpaid leave of up to 2 non-consecutive years before the child reaches the age of 3, receiving a guarantee of retention for their job. They are also able to receive 60% of their monthly salary for up to 6 non-consecutive months each (up to 12 months with parents taking turns), which is provided through the employment insurance (勞工保險) scheme.

Housing
The Ministry of the Interior took the initiative to reserve portions of housing with the help and coordination of the Linkou World Universiade Social Housing. People with children under the age of 6 or are married within 2 years are eligible for the plan. Social housing which will be completed in the future will also be reserved by local governments for future newlyweds and parents with children in coordination with the Ministry of the Interior.