Preferences for improved parental leave and higher child benefit

Nada Stropnik, Institute for Economic Research, Slovenia
Joze Sambt, University of Ljubljana
Jiřina Kocourková, Charles University, Prague

The paper addresses two family policy measures: parental leave and child benefit. Empirical analysis is based on the International Population Policy Acceptance Survey database which covers fourteen European countries. The paper shows to what extent are improved parental leave arrangements for employed women and a substantial rise in child allowance favoured and considered as priority family policy measures to be introduced by the national governments. The results are explained in the context of policy arrangements at the time of the national surveys (2000-2003). The determinants for favouring these two improvements and considering each of them as the priority one in the family policy development are identified. Correlation between dependent and explanatory variables is estimated using logistic regression.