Japan's parliament enacted a law Wednesday to expand monthly child allowances and parental leave, as the government seeks to tackle the country's declining birthrate through more equitable burden sharing. The state plans to collect 600 billion yen in fiscal 2026 under the new scheme, rising to 1 trillion yen in fiscal 2028. The launch of the new "child support fund" is based on the view that the costs should be shared more broadly and fairly to address the common challenge of boosting the number of children. The current monthly allowance for a third or subsequent child will be doubled to 30,000 yen, with the measures slated to take effect from October. The law also includes legalizing public support for "young carers," or children who routinely look after their family members, as the government seeks to eliminate regional disparities in providing assistance.
