"Removal of income restrictions on child allowance and extension to high school" government's proposal to address the declining birthrate

The government's draft plan for strengthening measures to address the declining birthrate has been revealed. In addition to removing income restrictions on child allowance and extending it until high school graduation, it also includes the creation of a system that allows parents to use daycare centers even if they are not working.

The draft states that the last chance to reverse the trend of declining birthrates until the 2030s is to accelerate efforts over the next three years.

Specifically, the government will abolish income restrictions on child allowances, extend the age of eligibility for child allowances from junior high school graduation to high school graduation, and review the amount of payments to multi-child households.

In addition, the government will relax the requirements for using nursery schools and consider the creation of a "system for anyone with children" that allows parents to leave their children even if they are not working.

In addition, in order to improve the quality of childcare, the criteria for the placement of childcare workers for one-year-olds and four- and five-year-olds, which had been an issue of accumulation, will be reviewed, and for one-year-olds, the current "one in six children" will be improved to "one in five," and for four- and five-year-olds, "one in 3" will be improved to "one in twenty-five."

In addition, in order to reduce the economic burden on higher education such as universities and graduate schools, a system in which tuition is not paid while enrolled in school and is paid according to income after graduation will be introduced and expanded for master's students from the sixth academic year Reiwa.

In addition, as a means of supporting housing for child-rearing households, we plan to promote initiatives such as preferential occupancy of public housing and lowering mortgage rates.

In addition, there are voices within the ruling party that the government should include free school lunches for public elementary and junior high schools and the application of public insurance to childbirth expenses, and coordination is continuing.

The government has decided to announce the draft plan on June 1, and will continue to conduct detailed examinations, including financial resources, and will present a general framework for a future "doubling of the children's budget" by the time the "Basic Policy" is formulated in June.