A number of regions across China have granted extended benefits to couples to encourage them to have , reports thepaper.cn.
In addition to the 98 days of nationally-mandated maternity leave, 31 provinces, regions, and municipalities have reportedly given extended leave to mothers ranging from 138 to 158 days.
New mothers will also be paid during their . And fathers have also been granted entitlements to paternity leave ranging from 15 to 30 days on average.
As well as longer maternity leave, additional benefits for families that have a second child include financial allowances and medical services.
In Shihezi, a city in the , mothers who have a second child will be offered subsidies worth up to 1,000 yuan ($149). The city will also provide second-child families with subsidies for baby milk formula for up to three years.
Xiantao in central China's Hubei Province is providing subsidized reproductive medical services to mothers who have a second child. And Liaoning province in the country's northeast is considering introducing policies that reward families who choose to have a second child, according to a guideline released by the provincial government last month.
China's central government changed its long-standing one-child policy in 2016 when it gave all married couples the right to have two children.
(Source: China Daily)
