«This is a series of measures which will then lead to a code for the family. Our objective is to make people understand how the birth rate is today one of the most important and urgent problems and issues in this country and how children can truly represent a resource for Italy capable of guaranteeing it a future.». With these words the Minister of the Family Lorenzo Fontana commented, exclusively to Pro Life, the innovations regarding family policies contained in the budget and aimed in particular at encouraging birth rates. «Why», he then added «a country where no one is born anymore is already without a future».
The Minister seems to want to go beyond the measures implemented by the previous government, judge «not enough» to be able to encourage a real increase in the birth rate. Especially because past recipes seemed to be missing an essential element, that is, the necessary interventions useful for combining motherhood and work, where the need for work often risks discouraging families from having children. The new policy that Fontana is inspiring instead envisages a complete upheaval of the paradigm, where motherhood turns from a problem into an extraordinary opportunity for parents.

The interventions are contained in a government amendment developed by the minister as part of a "family package" made up of government amendments and amendments presented by the League. The pillar of the measures will be the increase in birth incentives which will go beyond the old baby bonus with a refinancing of 444 million euros against 400 planned for the last year by the previous government. Another novelty thought up by Fontana concerns children: for each child after the first there is an increase of 20% on the amounts paid. There will be two income brackets (until 7.000 and from 7 a 25.000 euro) for family allowances.
In addition to birth incentives, there will also be measures in favor of parents with 40 million euros to encourage four-day leave for fathers and the establishment of Support fund for family crises with an amount of 10 million euros per year in addition to the doubling of tax deductions for children with disabilities. In the proposal presented, mothers will also be able to choose whether to access a three-month period of paid maternity leave 60% or six months of paid maternity leave at 30%.
In the "family package" the minister also relaunches the family card initiative, which allows access to discounts on the purchase of goods or services or to tariff reductions. They were also foreseen 960 million euros for three years for nursery schools.
«With the new fund and the new birth incentive measures», explains Minister Fontana, «we wanted to refine the previous mechanism and make the measures more effective, considering that the data that emerged from the use of the previous baby bonus highlighted an alarming demographic decline Of 22.000 newborns from 2015 al 2017 and a contraction of -16%, in the period 2008 – 2016, on children of a subsequent order to the first. It was therefore fundamental - numbers and studies in hand - to carry out a reflection, then strengthen and restructure the measure, which the previous government had also expected to expire. I have also included the new incentive in a broader 'package' of measures, organic and structured, to expand benefits and responses to families. This is the first step on a path which I hope will lead us to have a complete and effective demographic relaunch policy over the next few years., also with a specific code in favor of the family and an increase in the birth rate».
Americo Mascarucci
SOURCE: https://www.notizieprovita.it/economia-e-vita/esclusivo-fontana-a-pro-vita-misure-che-sfoceranno-in-un-codice-per-la-famiglia/