To help expand and promote corporate childcare services and to encourage employers to provide childcare measures, the Ministry of Labor recently promulgated the amendments to the “Regulations on Subsidy and Standards for Establishing Breastfeeding (Breast Milk Collection) Room, Childcare Facilities and Measures”. This relaxes the conditions required to apply for childcare measures subsidies so that employers who provide employees childcare subsidies can apply for subsidies up to a maximum of NT$600,000 per year.
        To encourage employers in providing user-friendly childcare facilities (measures) for employees, the Ministry of Labor, in accordance with the provisions of the “Act of Gender Equality in Employment”, formulated the “Regulations on Subsidy and Standards for Establishing Breastfeeding (Breast Milk Collection) Room, Childcare Facilities and Measures”. There are no restrictions on the size of business entities that are eligible to apply, and subsidies are granted to employers which have established breastfeeding (breast milk collection) rooms and childcare facilities or measures for employees. The original subsidy regulations stipulated that employers must have agreements signed with registered childcare service institutions to provide childcare services to employees and that the employers must provide childcare subsidies to employees for employers to be eligible to apply for subsidies. To further encourage employers in providing their employees with childcare services, the Ministry of Labor relaxed the conditions required to apply for subsidies. As long as employers provide childcare subsidies for employees’ children under 12 year old for them to be taken cared of in childcare service institutions, the employers can apply for subsidies. Signed agreements with childcare services institutions are no longer required. In addition, in coordination with the amendment of the Regulations, the Ministry of Labor will accept subsidy applications from September 1 to September 20 this year (2016). Business entities wishing to apply are invited to submit applications to the relevant local competent authority (Labor or Social Affairs Bureaus or Departments) and submit the electronic application information to the Corporate Childcare and Breastfeeding (Breast Milk Collection) Room Information section of the Ministry of Labor website at the same time.
        The Ministry of Labor stated that Article 23 of the “Act of Gender Equality in Employment” was amended and promulgated on May 18 of this year (2016). The amendment is applicable to business entities hiring employees which must provide breastfeeding (breast milk collection) rooms and childcare facilities or measures; applicable size of business entities is reduced from employers of 250 employees or more to employers of 100 employees or more. Employers are welcomed to use this subsidy to provide employees with breastfeeding and childcare services and to establish friendly work environment for employees.
        The Ministry of Labor explained that detailed information can be found in the Corporate Childcare and Breastfeeding (Breast Milk Collection) Room Information section of the Ministry of Labor website (web address: http://childcare.mol.gov.tw). If there are any questions, please call the toll-free service hotline of the Ministry of Labor at 0800-085151 to inquire about related matters.