In the Netherlands, amendments to the law have come into force, providing five weeks of paid parental leave for young fathers. Not only future parents, but also their employers are satisfied: all expenses are fully covered by the state budget.
Under the new system, partners can receive an additional five weeks of leave in the first six months after the birth of the child, for a maximum of five days of paid leave. This leave is paid in part – 70% of the salary. And it is paid by the Employee Insurance Agency (UWV), for which we have already booked EUR 65 million. That should be enough for 36,000 applications.
In recent years, the rate of partners' child leave has been increasing almost every year. From 1 January 2019, both partners will receive full maternity leave for five working days. From 1 July 2020, an additional five weeks of 70% payments will be added. And from August 1, 2022, both parents will receive nine weeks of partial paid leave. During these weeks, parents receive an allowance equal to 50% of their salary.
Prospective Dutch parents are thinking very positively about these changes, and I sincerely hope that such a long vacation will have a proper impact on the first days of a child's life and the family as a whole. After all, research shows that parents who are committed and spend more time with their children are in a better psychological and physical condition and establish a closer relationship with the child from the first moments of life, which later has a positive effect on their emotional development ...
