An agreement reached on Monday morning includes the introduction of a "family credit" scheme aimed at reforming parental leave policies, with an additional week of leave granted upon the birth of a child from 2026, according to the CD&V party.
The family credit proposal, championed by Flemish Christian Democrats, seeks to merge various types of parental leave into a single package tied directly to the child rather than to the parent.
This package would encompass maternity leave, parental leave, and time credit for childcare, encouraging an equitable division between fathers and mothers.
Parents would, however, retain the freedom to allocate the leave differently.
The initiative also aims to eliminate distinctions between self-employed individuals, employees, and civil servants, making the system simpler and universally accessible.
The Arizona coalition has agreed to lay the legal groundwork for this family credit scheme, with plans to introduce an extra week of parental leave for newborns starting next year.
