The Diet enacted March 26 a bill to provide a child allowance of ¥13,000 per month per child in fiscal 2010. The new measure is an important addition to government efforts to support families raising children.
The allowance will apply until a child graduates from middle school. In fiscal 2010, a total of ¥2.255 trillion will be paid to parents of 17.35 million children, some 5 million more than are presently covered by a similar but limited allowance. In principle, parents will apply to municipal offices to receive the allowance. The payments will be made three times a year, with the first scheduled for June.