– Today the government is proposing a new measure that will give parents on leave more flexibility. Some parents are taking unpaid leave today because they don't have a place at nursery when they need it. Others feel they don't have enough time for their child, says Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre (Ap.).
Under the current system, parents who receive 80% of Parental Benefit for 59 weeks receive a smaller total benefit than parents who receive 100% of Parental Benefit for 49 weeks. Now the government is submitting it to the Storting bill, which will equate these two alternatives by equalizing the total benefit amount regardless of salary level and extending the leave covering 80% of parental benefit from 59 to 61 weeks.
– We want parental leave to be generous and less complicated. The change will provide more time for families with children in the child's adolescence. Longer paid leave benefits both children and parents and will enable better preparation for breastfeeding as recommended by the employee service health, says Minister of Children and Family Affairs Kjersti Toppe (Sp).
Child benefit
From 2021, the government, in agreement with SV, increased the child benefit by NOK 5472 per children over six years of age and NOK 1344 for children under six years of age.
– The government's goal is to provide citizens better opportunities. This year, we will reduce the price of kindergarten from NOK 3000 to NOK 2000 per month, and we will also provide free places in part-time classes in the third stage. hours as part of extracurricular activities, says Støre.
The government proposesso that the change in law applies to people who become parents from July 1, 2024 inclusive.
