Application for MOP18,000 childcare allowance opens July 16

Parents can apply for a new annual child-raising allowance of MOP18,000 for each toddler with a permanent Macau ID card starting July 16, with total estimated expenditures for the year projected to reach MOP270 million.

The Secretary for Administration and Justice, André Cheong, presented the draft administrative regulation for the “Childcare Allowance Program” at yesterday’s press conference. The regulations specify that beneficiaries include permanent residents of Macau born between 2025 and 2027, as well as those born between 2022 and 2024. Each eligible child can receive the allowance for the year of birth and the two subsequent years.

Cheong reaffirmed that the new subsidy aims to address several challenges, including an aging population, labor shortages, and slowing economic growth, all stemming from a continuous decline in birth rates in Macau in recent years.

The regulation will take effect on July 15, allowing either parent of an eligible child to apply for the financial allowance using the Macao One Account starting the next day.

Parents must submit their applications by June 30 of the year after their child is born. Once approved, funds will be transferred to their bank accounts within 60 days. Additionally, if the children still qualify on January 1 of the subsequent year, parents will automatically continue to receive the allowance without needing to reapply, as long as their child’s eligibility is verified by the Social Welfare Bureau (IAS).

In response to media inquiries, the Secretary emphasized that the scheme is intended as a “temporary” measure. “We hope it can assist families with infants and young children while also boosting the birth rate. Our goal is for these measures to positively influence population growth,” he said.

He further noted that the three-year program will be regularly analyzed and evaluated to improve the policy over time.

According to Wilson Hon, director of the IAS, such allowances will be provided based on the year of birth: children born between 2025 and 2027 will receive three annual allowances; those born in 2022 will receive one; those born in 2023 will receive two; and those born in 2024 will be eligible for three.

Projecting that about 3,500 children will be born this year, the bureau also noted birth figures from previous years: 4,344 in 2022, 3,712 in 2023, and 3,607 in 2024. As a result, it is estimated that around 15,000 children will benefit from these allowances this year.

The director emphasized that beneficiaries of the child-raising allowance are calculated annually, not monthly.

“For instance, under the current administrative regulations, any child born in any month starting from 2022 will be eligible. Beneficiaries will receive one to three years of allowances based on the circumstances mentioned. This allowance is also considered a creative measure, with recipients and distribution methods designed to ensure fairness. Generally, parents can apply on any day as long as they possess a permanent ID card.”