A bill put forward by Christen Democratisch en Vlaams (CD&V) parliamentarians Nahima Lanjri and Nathalie Muylle would see parents receive more leave, better remuneration and increased flexibility until the child reaches the age of 18 years.
The draft includes a proposed “backpack”of two years of leave per child, which parents would be able to share with grandparents, co-parents or step-parents.
This is how the CD&V wishes to shape the family credit agreed on in the federal government deal, which would consolidate all leave systems from birth, Het Laatste Nieuws and De Morgen reported on Friday.
The CD&V primarily wants to enhance and extend birth leave. It proposes 24 weeks, or six months, for both parents combined, compared to the current 15 weeks for mothers and 20 days for fathers.
Couples who share the leave equitably would receive an additional six weeks as a “gender bonus.” Part of this “birth credit” could be used flexibly until the child turns three.
The CD&V proposal also seeks to increase parental leave allowances and relax certain conditions to make them more accessible, including for less affluent parents and those with temporary contracts. Parents may allow grandparents, co-parents or step-parents to take part of the leave, although this would come with a reduced allowance.
A total of 24 months of leave could be taken per child, according to the Flemish Christian-Democratic party, although budgetary constraints mean this will not be achievable until 2030. Until then, the CD&V wants Belgium to become ‘the Scandinavia of Western Europe in terms of family policy.’
By next year, the party hopes to introduce a bill granting additional leave for newborns and infants up to age three. However, the €25 million allocated in the federal budget annually will not be enough to fund this measure.
