This chapter gives details of the benefits to which people who look after children aged up to 2 years, or 3 years in the case of disabled children, are entitled.

The benefits described are:

• child-raising leave and benefit (concediu pentru creșterea copilului și indemnizație pentru creșterea copilului);
• child-raising leave and benefit for a disabled child (concediu pentru creșterea copilului cu handicap și indemnizație pentru creșterea copilului cu handicap);
• return-to-work bonus (stimulent de inserție).

In what situation can I claim?

Child-raising leave and benefit (concediu pentru creșterea copilului și indemnizație pentru creșterea copilului)

Child-raising leave and benefit are granted to natural parents, adoptive parents, people who have been granted temporary custody of children pending adoption, legal guardians or people who are providing foster care or emergency foster care to children, except professional maternal assistants, who live with the child or children for whom they are requesting benefits. These people must be resident in Romania.

Child-raising leave and benefit for a disabled child (concediu pentru creșterea copilului cu handicap și indemnizație pentru creșterea copilului cu handicap)

Leave and cash benefit are granted for up to the first 2 years of the child's life, or for the first 3 years for disabled children.

Child-raising leave for a disabled child can be extended until the child has reached the age of 7 years, if one of the natural or adoptive parents or the legal guardian etc. requests this.

Return-to-work bonus (stimulent de inserție)

The return-to-work bonus is a monthly amount that is paid to parents who decide to go back to work before their child-raising leave ends.

What conditions do I need to meet?

To be able to receive child-raising leave and benefit or a return-to-work bonus, you must meet the following requirements:

• you live with the child or children for whom you are requesting the benefit and you raise and look after the child or children;
• you live or are legally resident in Romania;
• you earned income subject to income tax during 12 months in the last 2 years before the child was born, adopted or placed in guardianship or foster care, or you were in one or more of the situations specifically identified by law, such as: you received unemployment benefit or were registered with employment agencies in order to receive it; you were granted leave and allowances related to health care insurance or an invalidity pension, etc.

If both parents meet the criteria for child-raising leave, at least 1 month of the total period of this leave must be allocated to the parent who did not request this right. For example, if the child's mother requested leave and benefit, the father must request one month's leave, and vice versa.

Entitlement to child-raising benefit is suspended, among other situations, if the recipient forfeits his or her parental rights, loses guardianship, serves a custodial sentence or is remanded in custody for more than 30 days, earns taxable income while being in receipt of child-raising benefit exceeding RON 6,570 per year, etc.

The following categories of income can be cumulated with the child-raising benefit:

• amounts received on the basis of the law or a collective or individual contract of employment, which are paid during the period of child-raising leave, other than those earned by pursuing an activity while on leave;
• earnings from work as a local or county counsellor.

What am I entitled to and how can I claim?

Parents, guardians or foster carers of disabled children are entitled to leave and child raising benefit until the child reaches the age of 3 years, or until the child reaches the age of 7 years. The amount of the benefit is between RON 1,314 and RON 8,500 per month. During the 4 years extension in the former situation the benefit is set at the minimum level of RON 1,314, i.e. 2.5 times the Reference Social Indicator of RON 525.5.

The minimum benefit is payable for each child born in a multiple birth, starting with the second child from a birth of this kind.

People with severe or profound disabilities who have dependent children with disability and have no income except for disability benefits receive a monthly support in the amount of 45% of the minimum child-raising benefit until the child reaches the age of 3 years and 35% of the minimum child-raising benefit for the child aged between 3 and 7 years.

People with severe or profound disabilities who have dependent children and do not meet the criteria for child-raising leave and benefit receive a monthly support in the amount of:

• 45% of the minimum child-raising benefit until the child reaches the age of 2 years;
• 15% of the minimum child-raising benefit for a child aged between 2 and 7 years.

Persons who have dependent children with disability and do not meet the criteria for child-raising leave and benefit receive a monthly support in the amount of 35% of the minimum child-raising benefit until the child reaches the age of 3 years and in the amount of 15% for a child aged between 3 and 7 years.

One of the persons who effectively takes care of a child with a severe or pronounced disability has the right to 4 hours reduced work programme every month, until the child reaches the age of 18, and is entitled to a monthly allowance equal to 50% of the minimum level of child raising benefit, i.e. RON 657.

Persons who request child-raising benefit or a return-to-work bonus must submit an application to the commune hall, town hall or city hall of the commune, town or sector in which they live or are resident, together with:

• copies of the identity document and birth certificate of the child for whom the benefit is requested or, where applicable, the family record booklet, all of which must be certified as true to the originals by the person who receives the documents;
• documents proving the relationship between the applicant and the child, if the child has been adopted or placed in guardianship or foster care;
• documents proving that the applicant earned taxable income during the 12 months in the last two years before the child was born, adopted or placed in the care of a guardianship, and proving the level of this income, or proving that the applicant is in a position that entitles them to receive the benefit;
• proof that the applicant has suspended work activities in order to raise the child;
• other documents may be necessary to prove that the applicant is entitled to child-raising leave and benefit.

The person who requests the benefit is also obliged to give written notice of any changes in their circumstances within 15 working days of such changes occurring.

Persons who are on child-raising leave and decide to return to work before the child reaches the age of 6 months, or 1 year in case of disabled child, receive a monthly return-to-work bonus amounting to RON 1,500. The amount is granted until the child is 2 years old, respectively 3 years old in case of disabled child.

Persons who are on child-raising leave and decide to return to work after the child reaches the age of 6 months, or 1 year in case of disabled child, receive a monthly return-to-work bonus amounting to RON 650. The amount is granted until the child reaches the age of 2 years old, respectively 3 years old in case of disabled child.

Child-raising leave and benefit end when the recipient returns to work and a return-to-work bonus is granted.

Income tax and compulsory statutory social contributions are not deducted from child-raising cash benefit or return-to-work bonus.

Child-raising benefit and return-to-work bonus are paid monthly by postal order or, as applicable, into the recipient's personal current account or card account.

Jargon busters

• Reference social indicator (RSI): unit expressed in lei which is used to calculate various financial social insurance benefits in Romania. On 1^st January 2023, the RSI is RON 525.5.

Forms you may need to fill in

• Application for child-raising allowance or a return-to-work incentive

Know your rights

The link below gives more information about your rights and obligations. This website does not belong to the European Commission and does not represent the position of the European Commission on the subject concerned:

• Requirements and documents necessary to receive child-raising allowance and a return-to-work incentive

Publications and websites of the European Commission:

• EU Social Security Coordination

Who do you need to contact?

You need to contact the commune hall, town hall or city hall of the commune, town or sector of Bucharest in which you live or are resident.