RO Ministry for Family launches this year's social program to increase natality rate
A total of 2,500 couples and singles will receive financial support this year to carry out the procedures needed to obtain a pregnancy, Gabriela Firea, the minister for Family, Youth, and Equal Opportunities, a member of the Social Democratic Party, and former mayor of Bucharest, announced.
As part of the Coalition for Resilience, Development and Prosperity’s Government Plan for 2021-2024, Firea has been working on developing a social program that she claims would increase the birth rate and therefore combat demographic aging in Romania.
Specialists say that there is indeed an issue regarding the aging of Romania’s population, and a low natality rate is one of the contributing factors, if not the only one. In fact, the National Institute of Statistics reports that in 2021, the number of live births registered at civil status offices in Romania was 180,735, the lowest number of live births to date since the 1930s.
The minister posted the newest development to her Facebook page, following a meeting between herself and the minister of Labor and Social Solidarity, Marius Budăi:
"We are soon to approve a decision in the government to give financial support to couples or single people so that they can carry out the procedures needed to obtain a pregnancy.
This year, we are giving this support to 2,500 couples and singles, and from 2023 onwards we will be supporting 10,000 couples and singles annually."
Firea explained that the measure is aimed at young people who would like to have children, but are having trouble conceiving.
"The financial aid received by couples and women in Romania who need to undergo specialized procedures will be a maximum of RON 15,000 to settle the expenses necessary to increase birth rate," she added.
The program will be implemented by the Ministry of Family, Youth, and Equal Opportunities and the Ministry of Labor and Social Solidarity.
The meeting was also attended by Secretary of State Doina Pârcălabu, Secretary of State Cristian Vasilcoiu, and specialists from the two ministries.
(Photo source: Andrii Zastrozhnov | Dreamstime.com)
