Law on support to families with children adopted

Gordana Matkovic

Belgrade, April 2, 2002 - The Serbian parliament today accepted the Bill on financial support to families with children proposed by the Serbian government aimed at encouraging childbearing, offering special support to financially endangered families with children, families with handicapped children and children without parental care.

According to the bill, one-off aid worth 50,000 dinars will go to families with two children, 90,000 dinars to families with three and 120,000 dinars to families with four children. The measure will not apply only to those with large property and those with a tax base greater than 12 million dinars, and parents who sent their children to children's homes.

The law will also introduce a new right to allowance for costs of residence in pre-school facilities for children without parental care.

The allowance for maternity leave will still be 100 percent of the monthly salary, except for those whose monthly salary is more than five times the average salary in Serbia. According to the Bill, the children's allowance would amount to 900 dinars for each of the first four children in poor families. The amount of the allowance for children with a single parent, parentless children and handicapped children will be increased by 30 percent.

The law will be financed from existing funds in the Serbian budget.