In Belarus, the number of large families has doubled over the past 10 years. Currently, there are 121,000 families in the country raising three or more children. This is not by chance, of course. The state consistently invests in families. While over Br2.5 billion was allocated for support last year, this figure will reach Br3.2 billion this year. However, it's not just about payments, but also about specific benefits and guarantees. Approximately 7% of GDP is spent annually to ensure Belarusian families feel more secure. In the new episode of the BELTA YouTube project "On Fact: Decisions of the First," we will discuss how the state invests in families, why Belarusian women are having children later, and how our country manages to remain among the top most comfortable countries for motherhood.
What Support is Provided to Large Families in Belarus
"One child is your child. Two - we will look at the family, perhaps someone needs support, but these are also your children. The third one is my child. I meet with a female workforce at some factory - all young women. And they started talking about children. I say: 'Let's agree: the third child is mine and a little bit yours. The fourth one is one hundred percent mine, and the fifth and subsequent ones are mine. Agreed?' They are silent... I say: 'Why are you silent?' - 'Ah, well, one has to give birth.' - 'Well, I can't give birth for you,' said the Head of State in his Address to the Belarusian people and the National Assembly more than ten years ago, in 2011.
Payments upon the birth of a child, childcare benefits for children up to three years of age, and if there are two children, an allowance for the elder child. And if it seems to someone that maternity benefits are modest, then tell that to mothers in the USA, for example. Paid leave is not provided at all here. Three years of maternity leave is an unaffordable luxury for European women. For instance, in Germany, only eight weeks are allocated for recovery after childbirth, in Spain - 16. And no one is concerned about breastfeeding or the emotional bond between mother and baby.
In 2015, Belarus launched the family capital program. At that time, it was a sum of $10,000 in Belarusian rubles, which was provided to parents upon the birth or adoption of a third and subsequent child. Initially, the money could be used when the child reached the age of majority. Five years later, the President extended the program. And not without reason. It is clear that the happiness of parenthood cannot be bought or sold, but knowing that you have financial security, even at the stage of family planning, is extremely important.
"Families with many children are provided with maximum guarantees, and compared to other families, they are somewhat greater. I will highlight the main ones. This is the same family capital, support for building or purchasing housing, preferential loans, financial assistance, targeted subsidies, labor guarantees. The most in-demand is the day off work, which is provided to parents with many children with payment," said Svetlana Belash, Head of the Department of Population, Gender and Family Policy of the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection.
There are also benefits for mothers with many children in the pension sphere, added the specialist. "Mothers with many children who have five or more children retire five years earlier than the established deadline, and for mothers with four children, a reduction in the insurance period for pension assignment has been established. There are a number of guarantees in the taxation sphere. Such a measure as a reduction in the customs duty rate when importing a car for personal use is in demand. Customs duty payments are reduced by 50%," added Svetlana Belash.
What services do Belarusians most often spend family capital on
"Are there children and how many?" This question is very often asked by the head of state. And it doesn't matter where and for what reason the President communicates with people, whether it's harvesting or opening an enterprise. Since the inception of the "Family Capital" project, almost 122,000 accounts have been opened. This is a personal account in the amount of Br29,950. The money can be used early, for example, for building or purchasing housing, repaying loans, education or medical services.
"As of January 1, more than half of families with many children have already used the funds. The most in-demand area for early use is the improvement of housing conditions. In this area, about 75% of decisions were made in 2022. The demand for services in the field of education is increasing: in 2022, this accounted for 10% of decisions. Medical services are no less in demand," said Svetlana Belash about the use of family capital.
Support for motherhood and childhood is a national priority. This is envisaged by both the socio-economic development programme and the demographic security programme. Moreover, traditional family values are guaranteed by the Basic Law, which clearly states: marriage is a union of a man and a woman, and family, motherhood, fatherhood and childhood are under state protection. And this is the choice of the majority of Belarusians, who cast their votes in favour of the updated Constitution. Sociological surveys also show that 98% of the population of Belarus consider family to be the most important part of life.
How the state helps families with two children
"Two children are a must. And the birth of a third or fourth should be encouraged. As benefits are reduced, money will be directed precisely here. At least, as long as I am President, this area will not be deprived of attention." <...> "If we have no money at all for benefits and housing construction, then we will give the last funds to large families for housing construction. This is what we should proceed from," Alexander Lukashenko stated back in August 2014.
The Head of State's position is unwavering. Even now, under unprecedented sanctions, not a single social programme has been curtailed in the country. Within a maximum of two years, large families will be provided with housing in Belarus. This is also the First's decision. Last year alone, 8,000 large families received the coveted keys. Large families are sometimes criticised, saying that you get all the perks, but we, for example, have two children and get nothing... But is this really the case?
"Support for families with two children is not much less than for large families. Let's take the same system of state benefits for families raising children. Benefits are granted upon the birth of each child, regardless of how many there are: one, two, or three. There are no separate payments for large families. The benefit amounts increase with the birth of the second child," said Svetlana Belash.
At the same time, there are many other support measures for families raising children, she emphasized. "Children attend kindergarten. Parental fees cover only children's meals. If there are two preschool children, the fee is reduced by 30%, for large families – by 50%. Travel on public transport is free for schoolchildren, regardless of the number of children in the family. There are also benefits for paying for school meals. Children from any family in primary school receive free meals. Again, regardless of whether there are two children in the family or it is a large family," noted the specialist from the Ministry of Labour.
On what grounds can one have a free IVF attempt in Belarus
But if the birth rate depended solely on material wealth... While some live for themselves, build careers, hesitate and ponder, others dream of hearing the cherished word "mother" for years. Medical technologies help such couples. Understandably, the procedure is complex and not cheap. In various clinics worldwide, one such procedure costs from $1.5 thousand to $6 thousand. Add to this the expenses for consultations, examinations, and tests. In our country, this is not a VIP service. For two years now, married couples, for medical reasons, can have one free IVF attempt, for which the state will allocate another Br5.7 million this year.
"One free attempt is provided to married couples on the grounds that there are indications for IVF. Furthermore, there must be no contraindications, and the wife's age must not exceed 40 years," said Leonid Neden, Chief Specialist of the Department for Mother and Child Health of the Ministry of Health. Additionally, one of the conditions is citizenship of the Republic of Belarus.
The Ministry of Health specialist noted that IVF is carried out in state healthcare organizations: the Republican Scientific and Practical Centre "Mother and Child", the Healthcare Institution "City Maternity Hospital No. 2 of Minsk", as well as the Gomel Regional Diagnostic Medical-Genetic Centre with the "Marriage and Family" consultation. "This program started in 2021. And in 2021, 884 IVF procedures were performed for married couples. In 2022, according to operational information, about 2,000 IVF cycles were initiated. The effectiveness of application is over 36%. Access is available, and there is no waiting list," concluded Leonid Neden.
What is the optimal age for having a child
Belarusian women are having children later in life. This is a fact. However, it is not only our women who prioritize education, career, and their own home first. Women worldwide are not rushing into maternity leave, although, as we recall, such a concept simply does not exist in some countries. Modern women are not easily intimidated by the once common and not very pleasant epithet "elderly primipara".
"As the average age of women increases, their reproductive capabilities change. The ideal reproductive age is up to 35 years, because later on, diseases develop and are acquired, and there is a risk of children being born with chromosomal and genetic disorders," said Venera Semenchuk, Deputy Director for Medical Expertise and Rehabilitation at the National Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology "Mother and Child".
If previously a diagnosis such as "elderly primipara" was heard, today it is not made, the expert noted. "Every woman has the right to realize her reproductive potential. Healthcare is designed to help them have a child. Our assistance consists of helping women at the stage of pregnancy planning, accompanying them, and minimizing risks," concluded Venera Semenchuk.
Of course, ideally, everything should come together in the family puzzle – health, love, and financial stability. Doctors will take care of the rest. The state will also offer support. It is not for nothing that Belarus is among the 25 best countries in the ranking of comfortable conditions for motherhood.
"We cannot suddenly abolish this support, these benefits, and so on overnight. This will never happen as long as I am President and you work with me! This is our achievement, we must preserve it! The main focus of future social policy is ensuring demographic security. There is no more important issue. We need solutions to create more comfortable conditions for young mothers to combine work and family, and education. For fathers too. To increase life expectancy, we will elevate early disease diagnosis to a new level. This is a very important problem, the tasks have been set by me and will be controlled uncompromisingly! Treat people as you wish, do whatever you want there, but people must live! The main thing is to preserve human life!" - the Head of State guaranteed in his Address to the Belarusian people and the National Assembly on January 28, 2022.
Source: belta.by