IN response to China’s efforts to encourage childbirth, the 37th Session of the Standing Committee of the 13th Guangdong Provincial People’s Congress on Wednesday approved the decision on amending the Guangdong Provincial Population and Family Planning Regulations, which took effect on the same day.

The revised regulations make it clear that Guangdong implements a three-child policy and the policy is also applied to remarried couples.

Parents of a child born in compliance with laws and regulations can each enjoy 10 days annual parental leave within the first three years of the child’s life.

At the same time, the revised regulations clarify that the government adopts support measures in terms of finance, taxation, insurance, education, housing and employment to relieve a family’s burden of raising and educating children.

The regulations also encourage employees to negotiate with employers about flexible vacations and working methods whereby working parents can take better care of their young children.

In addition, the revised regulations propose to promote the establishment of an inclusive childcare service system and clarify requirements for the planning and construction of nursing activity venues and service facilities.

The revised regulations also clarify one-child families’ legal rights and interests.

Employers shall give their employees who are only children and were born under the State’s one-child policy five days’ elder care leave each year, according to the regulation. In addition, if these employees’ parents are hospitalized, they should be given more elder care leave. The cumulative total of such leave is not more than 15 days a year.

(SD News)