A new report proposes significant reforms to France's family policy, including a monthly allowance for children and extended parental leave, aiming to boost declining birth rates.
In response to France's declining birth rates, a recent report outlines 37 potential measures aimed at transforming the country's family policy. The standout proposal is a direct monetary allowance of €250 per child per month, which is intended to ease the financial burden on families and encourage more couples to have children. Other recommendations include longer and better-paid parental leaves and a universal family allowance available from the first child, suggesting a shift towards more supportive familial structures.
The report was achieved by the Parliamentary Information Mission on the causes and consequences of declining birth rates in France, initiated by the Horizons group, highlighting the urgency of addressing the demographic shift. The rapporteur, Jérémie Patrier-Leitus, emphasized the need to rethink family support mechanisms in a way that enables families who wish to have children to do so without being deterred by financial challenges. This 'big bang' approach aims to make parenting more attractive and feasible in the current economic context.
As public institutions and private sectors, such as the SNCF, reflect changing attitudes towards families, this revitalized family policy could have far-reaching implications for societal structure and economic stability in France. The proposed 'Marshall Plan' for child care services is another critical component of the strategy, potentially reshaping how child-rearing is supported across the nation, thereby enhancing family life and potentially reversing declining birth trends in the long term.
