VIDEO: Childcare benefits to be granted to parents of children up to 2 years old, regardless of registration address

The draft law on amendments and additions to the "Law on State Benefits" proposes to grant childcare benefits to parents caring for children under the age of two, regardless of their registration address within Armenia, and irrespective of being employed or not.

According to David Khachatryan, Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, the law will apply to cases where the child was born on or after January 1, 2023.

“Since July 1, 2020, when the entitlement to childcare benefits was also extended to non-working rural parents, urban parents have expressed their dissatisfaction, arguing that caring for children living in cities is also costly and deserves state support,” said the Deputy Minister.

Current legislative regulations for employed individuals and rural parents will remain in effect if the child was born before January 1, 2023, and in the case of rural parents, the application must be submitted by December 31, 2023.

The draft also proposes to reconsider the conditions for exercising the right to childcare benefits, unlinking them from job termination or changing residence.