site.btaUnderage Mothers to Get Child-Care Allowances in Kind

Underage Mothers to Get
Child-Care Allowances
in Kind


Sofia, July 15 (BTA) - The monthly family allowances for child care, granted to a mother who has not attained the age of 18 years, will be in kind, Bulgaria's Parliament resolved on Wednesday, passing conclusively amendments to the Family Allowances for Children Act.

The allowance in kind will be provided in the form of goods and/or services for the child in accordance with its individual needs assessed by the Social Assistance Directorate. The same type of allowance will be granted to parents or family allowance recipients who do not take care of the child or children and the family allowance is used otherwise than intended.

The Social Assistance Directorate will take measures for protection in a family environment of pregnant women who have not attained the age of 18 years, according to the amendments.

A mother/adoptive mother who is a university student will be entitled to a non-means-tested lump-sum child-care allowance provided that the child is permanently resident in Bulgaria and is not placed outside the family, the mother/adoptive mother is permanently resident in Bulgaria and is a full-time student at an accredited higher school established under the terms and according to the procedure established by the Higher Education Act, the MPs also resolved.

Adoptive parents will be entitled to a non-means-tested lump-sum child-care allowance provided that they and the adopted child are permanently resident in Bulgaria. The amount of the allowance will be fixed annually by the State Budget Act for the respective year but may not be lower than the amount for the previous year and higher than the amount of the lump-sum child-birth allowance. PK/LG
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