A state childcare benefit for working parents of children of up to three years of age will be paid out per child, informed Labor Minister Viera Tomanova. The ministry proposes the benefit as of next year. "We are expanding the contribution for all children of up to three years of age. If a parent has two or three children of up to three years, he/she will receive contributions for all the children," the minister said. She explained that the advantage of the prepared bill on childcare benefit would be that also those parents who are currently ineligible for parental benefits would be able to claim them after the new piece of legislation comes into force. This category includes parents who placed their children in childcare facilities administered by a municipality that receives subsidies from the state for running the facility.
If a working parent has a child of up to three years of age in the care of a specialized childcare facility or a person that has a childcare trade license, the sum of the benefit will correspond with parents' documented costs but cannot exceed the sum of the parent benefit currently at SKK 4,780 (EUR 158.7). A parent who works and has a child in the care of a relative who does not have a trade license for this activity will be able to claim SKK 1,195 (EUR 39.37) from the state. Major valorization of the parental benefit is prepared as of the beginning of 2010. The minister said that it should come closer to the minimum wage. The current monthly parental benefit is SKK 4,560 (EUR 151.4) and is to rise to SKK 4,780 (EUR 158.7) as of this September. The current minimum wage is SKK 8,100 (EUR 268.9) but Prime Minister Robert Fico would like to see it at SKK 8,900 (EUR 295.4) as of next year.