On January 3, Minsk /Elena Prus - BELTA/. In Belarus, the average monthly child benefit for children under 3 years of age increased 2-fold in 2012, and for children over 3 years of age - 3.3-fold. This was reported to a BELTA correspondent by the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection. Thus, in 2012, the average monthly benefit for children under 3 years of age amounted to Br768 thousand, including Br880 thousand in December, and the average monthly benefit for children over 3 years of age was Br384 thousand and Br440 thousand, respectively. According to specialists, in 2012, work continued to strengthen social protection for families raising children. Within the framework of implementing the measures of the National Programme for Demographic Security of the Republic of Belarus for 2011-2015, the volumes of financial assistance to large families in repaying debts on preferential loans for housing construction (reconstruction) have been revised. Thus, if a family has three minor children, the debt on issued loans is repaid at 75%; if a family has four or more minor children, it is repaid at 100%. Since January 2012, parents with two or more children have been granted the right to an increased standard tax deduction (Br246 thousand). Since April 2012, all children under 3 years of age are provided with free medicines dispensed by prescription within the list of essential medicines. In order to strengthen state support for the population and introduce a comprehensive approach to its provision, since April 1, 2012, families (citizens) have the right to receive various types of state targeted social assistance simultaneously. Families with the birth of twins or more children have the right to be provided with food products for children under two years of age, regardless of family income. The measures taken by the state to support families contribute to both improving the living standards of families with children and increasing the birth rate, the ministry emphasized. A draft Law of the Republic of Belarus "On State Benefits for Families Raising Children" has been adopted by the House of Representatives and approved by the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly in a new version. It provides for linking the amount of child care allowance for children under 3 years of age to the average wage in the country, strengthening social protection for families raising children with disabilities, and improving the targeting and effectiveness of state support for families. -0-

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