The government of the French-speaking community, the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, has decided to extend a system of subsidies for crèches and childcare, Minister for Children, Bénédicte Linard, announced on 18 July.
According to the minister, parents who raise their children alone will see their bill decrease by 30% by 1 January. This new reduction will run in parallel to existing provisions and allowances made available to large families.
“I no longer want some parents who are raising their child alone, mostly women, to have to choose between putting their child in a crèche and paying their bills, finding a job, or taking training,” the minister said in a statement.
The French-speaking region has also agreed on a series of measures to improve and simplify the list of financial exemptions made to people claiming BIM (beneficiaries of increased intervention) status. The new measures will be made possible using an existing budget allocated towards child care within the Wallonia-Brussels Federation.
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The Federation is also working towards drawing up a progressive tariff for childcare services, which will be calculated along the lines of income.
The government has asked the Birth and Childhood Office (ONE) to carry out tests in order to define the financial contributions of subsidised parents, in anticipation of reforms in 2050. These calculations will take place with the participation of stakeholders such as the League of Families and representatives of local authorities and municipalities.
