ASFANU, the Romanian Large Families Association contributed to the initiation of a legislative proposal in the Romanian Parlament – The Large Families Law.
The law defines for the first time in Romania the concept of large family and their recognition through the public Certificate for large families. The public card introduces several possibilities of granting benefits and facilities to large family members.
PNL MP Matei Dobrovie initiated a legislative proposal for the social recognition of large families and their definition in legislation, following the model of other European states such as Spain, France and Belgium. The initiative includes support measures for the most vulnerable families in the context of the coronavirus pandemic.
“Currently, the economic crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic most severely affects vulnerable families, ie those with many children and single parents, given that their incomes are considerably reduced, while spending on food, education and health increase. The establishment of support measures for large families represents not only a short-term aid, but a strategic, long-term investment of the Romanian state in the demographic recovery and in the future generation of labor force. For the first time, we define in Romanian legislation the numerous families and we introduce measures to support them through a public card “, Dobrovie specified.
“The establishment of support measures for large families represents not only a short-term aid, but a strategic, long-term investment of the Romanian state in the demographic recovery and in the future generation of labor force.”
Also, in this process of social recognition of large families and the establishment of support measures for them, both public institutions can be involved, starting from the level of central public institutions and authorities and to the level of municipalities and local public administration, as well as and interested private partners (companies, NGOs).
Thus, the main novelties with which this legislative proposal comes are the following:
– Defining for the first time in Romania the concept of large family, their official recognition through the Certificate for large families, granting public cards and private benefit cards, introduction of eligibility conditions for beneficiaries, special provisions for single-parent families, in case divorce, adoption or guardianship, establishing a sanctioning regime in case of non-compliance with obligations;
– The possibility of granting benefits and facilities to large family members based on a public card from the local public administration such as: scholarships, prizes and tax cuts in the field of education and health, vouchers to cover expenses for newborns or the actual offer of diapers, briefcases, diapers, milk powder, strollers, allocation of funds for the purchase of books and other teaching materials, discounts on cultural, sports and leisure activities and services, free subscriptions for public and residential parking;
– Possibility of granting benefits and facilities to members of large families from private partners, based on a private card such as: discount vouchers for the purchase of family cars that have more than 5 seats (family cars), discounts or free medicines and products pharmaceuticals or children’s articles; discounts or gratuities on medical treatments, hearing aids, orthopedic prostheses, ophthalmological, dental or speech therapy treatments; discounts on the purchase of housing for large families or on housing rents; offering special lending programs for large families; other goods and services offered free of charge or at a discount by private partners, depending on their field of activity;
– Introduction of mandatory conditions to benefit from these facilities: at least one of the parents must have a job, take care of and supervise at least three children and have full exercise capacity;
– Introducing the condition of the maximum age of 18, or at most 21 years in case of continuing studies, of the minimum three children who are part of the large family, as well as the condition of compulsory schooling of children, with clear restrictions on the number of absences allowed. This measure prevents children from large families from dropping out of school due to high costs.
