From April 1, the monthly childcare allowance paid until the child turns three will be released  at request to the mother, the farther or relatives who look after the child. According to the General Social Benefit Division of the National Office of Social Insurance, this  provisions apply only to persons who pay contributions into the state social insurance budget and took leave for looking after the child. The grandparents who are pensioners are not eligible.

Under other amendments made to the healthcare legislation, the maternity allowance for women pregnant with three and more children is paid for a period that is by 42 calendar days longer for the prenatal leave (from 70 days at present to 112 days) and by 14 days longer for the postnatal leave (from 56 days at present to 70 days). Thus, for women pregnant with a child the allowance is paid fully on the 30th week of pregnancy, while for those pregnant with more children – on the 24th week.

Parents receive three types of allowances when a child is born: allowance for the prenatal and postnatal leave that is paid once for the whole period, lump-sum childbirth payment, and monthly childcare allowance paid up to the child’s age of three to socially insured person and to the age of one year and a half to socially uninsured persons. The lump-sum childbirth payment this year is 3,400 lei for insured women and 3,100 lei for the uninsured ones.

Another provision is that women no longer need a required length of service to be able to receive childbirth allowance for the prenatal and postnatal leave, which is paid once for the whole period based on the medical leave certificate. These new amendments to the legislation will came into force on April 1. The childbirth allowance is now calculated based on the average monthly income for the last 6 calendar months preceding the childbirth. When the amendments take effect, there will be calculated the income for the last 12 months.