- Title: ESTONIA: Baby boom seen as result of generous maternity pay
- Date: 1st November 2006
- Summary: (SOUNDBITE)(Estonian) MINISTER OF POPULATION AFFAIRS, PAUL-EERIK RUMMO, SAYING: "Similar schemes have been used elsewhere, but our model is innovative and even radical. We have connected the parents' benefits with the income of the parents and we have separated it from the generic social support system."
- Embargoed: 16th November 2006 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Estonia
- Country: Estonia
- Topics: Health,Social Services / Welfare
- Reuters ID: LVA3QNBTT4NX575AXDN994OIQY11
- Story Text: Overflowing maternity wards and a plethora of prams in the park are sure signs that Estonia has managed to halt the decline in its birth rate, and encourage couples to take the plunge into parenthood.
A United Nations report in 2001 stating that Estonia was one of the fastest 'shrinking' nations in the world was a rude awakening for the Estonian government, which responded with initiatives to increase the birth rate.
The country is now seeing the benefits, with a 0.2% increase in recent years.
One major initiative is the providing of generous maternity pay for women, which has seen the birth rate increase from 1.3 children per woman in the late 1990's to a 1.5 fertility rate in 2006.
A woman giving birth will now receive her monthly salary, up to 1,560 USD for up to a 15 month period, while unemployed mothers will receive 200 USD. The average monthly wage in Estonia is 650 USD.
"Similar schemes have been used elsewhere, but our model is innovative and even radical. We have connected the parents' benefits with the income of the parents and we have separated it from the generic social support system," minister of population affairs, Paul-Eerik Rummo said.
The scheme is clearly working as hospital maternity wards are at capacity. At the Central Women's Clinic of Tallinn, figures on a large white board hanging on the wall show that more babies have already been delivered this year, than in all of 2005.
"Usually all the rooms are crowded. Some days we even have women in the hallways, waiting to check into a birth room," senior midwife of Central Women's Clinic, Helle Pihel said.
The scheme has proven successful because more employed and highly educated women now choose to take time off work to have children.
The government is also working on other initiatives including pre-abortion counselling, child care funding and day care services.
For women considering having children, receiving maternity pay is helpful and often a contributing, but not necessarily deciding factor.
"It is good we have it now, it does help a lot, but it was not the reason I decided to have my second child. It's good that our country supports us this way," new mother and career woman, Monika Vainjärv said.
Expectant mother, Kadri, believes maternity pay is most certainly important for many Estonian women when they are deciding whether or not to have children.
"Parental benefits have a major impact on many women choosing to get pregnant and one can see many women with children in town. There are so many of them," she said.
For Estonia to maintain its current population the nation needs a fertility rate of 2.1 children per woman and the ministry of population affairs is hopeful this ratio can be reached by 2014, especially if the current baby boom continues. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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