Government working on babysitting vouchers and leave for parents, costs are assessed

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The closure of the schools until March 15 forces all Italian families to reorganize their lives. Especially those where both parents work, with young children (who cannot stay at home alone) and without grandparents available. A serious increase in concern. Also because not everyone is able to organize themselves with smart working. The government therefore tries to run for cover. And it announces a forthcoming law provision with measures to support families who have children under the age of 14, as proposed by the minister for the family Elena Bonetti: in particular for babysitting expenses and the extension of parental leave for female and male workers.

«A regulation is being defined which provides for the possibility for one of the parents, in the event of school closings, to be absent from work to look after minor children. I have already spoken to Minister Gualtieri and the other competent ministers about it, “said Deputy Minister of Economy Laura Castelli. Needless to say, any expense costs. And the economy is sifting through the budget folds to find the funds.

Hypothesis for babysitting vouchers and parental leave
«I’m thinking about the possibility of support for the costs of babysitting, with vouchers, these are proposals for which there are ongoing evaluations
economic. Even grandparents who are so precious in the welfare of our society today must be protected, so we also think of giving the possibility of avoiding too much contagion between children and grandparents, with extraordinary leave for parents »100% paid. “These are measures that will have to be activated as of now” said Bonetti, on the ‘Circo Massimo’ broadcast. And he added: “Europe has been asked for funds and the expenditure it needs must be put in place to support families”, recalling that “we already had a babysitter voucher, which had not been reintroduced in the budget law”. Work is also being done on the audience: “Particular attention is due to the families of health workers who are mobilized to serve the entire population”.

The alternatives
Until the government adopts ad hoc measures, the worker mom or dad who cannot resolve with babysitting, grandparents or relatives does not have many alternatives: holidays, paid leave or parental leave, which, however, in current legislation is paid to 30% and is applicable only if the children are 12 years old maximum.

Requests from associations and consumers
The Forum of Families also asked the government for “explicit, concrete, substantial and strong answers”, proposing “smart-working, working flexibility, online lessons, but also funds to be able to pay for the babysitters”. Moige urges “the possibility that one of the two parents may be entitled to paid compulsory leave because the closure of the schools is not a choice of the parents but the parents must
handle”. For Codacons, the executive, on the other hand, must grant “tax relief and suspension of the contribution obligations for those who will be forced to resort to babysitting”.