The Clearinghouse on International Developments in Child, Youth and Family Policies

at COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY

Belgium

(last updated February 2001)

Introduction and Overview

After France, Belgium was the first country in the world to develop an explicit family policy. One scholar stresses that Belgian family policy should be seen in the context of the development of the nation state, democratization, early urbanization and industrialization, the late development of the national social protection system, and most importantly, class and culture cleavages and the role of the Catholic Church(1).

Early industrialization, the influence of the French culture, and Catholicism were especially important influences. Of particular importance now, Belgian family policy is the responsibility of regional government, and thus caught in the divide between Flemish and French cultures.

In addition to the strong influence of French culture and policy and Catholicism, there is a strong conservative tradition in Belgium and an overarching family policy theme is support for the traditional family. As a Belgian representative to the European Family Observatory has stated, "The Belgian social security system (especially child benefit in combination with tax policy) provides favorable treatment for the presence of children and a non-earning partner"(2). Traditional families are supported throughout Belgian social policy and are at the heart of family policy.

Another family policy scholar argues that the early development of Belgian family policy is revealed in the early development of its extensive system of early childhood education and care (ECEC), its early development of family allowances beginning with the establishment of a family wage early in the 20th century, the establishment of a tax system based on the family unit, and the persistence of conservative family law stressing the importance of the traditional family. As a result, in addition to the extensive and early development of family allowances and ECEC -- cash family benefits and services -- a family orientation crept into the social security system as well. A family ministry was established early on, too, in 1946.

Of some surprise, given the traditional orientation of Belgian family law, a law was enacted in 1995 that established visitation rights of the non-custodial parent, grandparents, and third persons who are especially close to the child. In addition, Belgian law defines "family" very broadly, to include step-children, adopted children, foster children, grandchildren, nephews, nieces and siblings.

Family policy is fragmented across ministries and between the federal and regional governments (see below). However, the most important division is that between the two cultures and the two major regions: French and Flemish. Child Benefit (family allowances), tax policy, and health care are a federal responsibility now while other family policies are regional, meaning that child care, education, and youth welfare are all regional . In addition, it is a highly complicated system of benefits including: a basic family allowance that is higher for children in higher ordinal positions; an orphans allowance; an allowance for handicapped children or children with a handicapped parents; birth allowances and allowances for children of pensioners and long term unemployed. Except for the last two, all the benefits are universal. The Flemish and French communities have each established an "Ombudsman" office for children's rights.

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Highlights

Click here to view or print country highlights in pdf format.

Government Agencies

The Ministries of Employment and Labor, Social Affairs, Public Health, and Environment, and Finance are central or national government responsibility. Child benefit, health care, and tax policy, are federal responsibilities and under their aegis. Family policy is the responsibility of the regional governments, but the financing of these benefits is the responsibility of the Ministry of Finance and the national family allowance fund. Child Care, pre- and primary-school education, youth welfare, and parenting policies are also the responsibility of the regional government. In addition to this division of responsibilities, Ministries of Social Welfare have responsibility for child care for the under 3s and the Ministry of Education plays that role for the preschool program for the 3-6 year olds. The Ministry of Labor and Employment has responsibility for such policies as the "career break" policy.

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Demographic and Other Social Trends

Belgium has a population of about 10 million, with about 18 percent under 15 and 16 percent over 65, fairly typical of the EU. Like the rest of the EU, Belgium is experiencing the usual demographic and social trends, including aging, declining marriage rates, rising divorce rates, and declining birth rates, now 1.6, just above the EU average. Dual-earner families are the dominant family type. One-earner families are also increasing in number but that is because of the rise in lone-parent families. Yet despite the increase in such families, they still constitute a small proportion of families with children as compared with most of the other EU countries (about 9 percent); and cohabitation is increasing only slightly as well. Out-of-wedlock birth rates are rising and now are about 14 percent of all births, but that, too, is significantly lower than most EU countries. Most children are still being born into-- and reared in --husband wife families.

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Social Protection (3)

Belgium is a "consociational" country, with its two strong ethnic groups, different languages, and contrasting cultures; and a complicated government structure and policy system as a consequence. A Belgian family scholar notes that under pressure to meet the Mastricht criteria, the Belgian government cut social expenditures and imposed financial constraints. In 1996, a social security reform was carried out, focused largely on imposing cuts on pensions. However, none of the cuts caused any significant change in the situation of families(4).

Social expenditures increased steadily in the 1990s, reaching 30 percent of GDP in 1996, well above the EU average. The share going to child and family benefits was 8 percent, the EU average.

Because family policy developed early in Belgium and the main schemes of the social security system developed late, Belgium's social insurance system reveals a strong family orientation in its cash (family) benefits and supplements, in its disability benefits, and its unemployment benefits. There are few traditional social insurance benefits for children except for the standard: survivors' benefits and means-tested orphan benefits paid as survivors' benefits. Social Assistance is provided in Belgium to poor families, but no special benefits are provided children because they are covered by means-tested child allowances financed and delivered through the social security system.

Lone-parent and one-earner families, and large families, are especially vulnerable to poverty, with one-earner families accounting for the largest single group in the early 1990s(5). Nonetheless, Belgium's child poverty rate (using 50 percent of median family income as the poverty threshold) at 4.4 percent is the lowest of all countries other than the Nordic group, and contrasts dramatically with the U.S rate of 22 percent. Belgium ranks 10th in per capita GDP (the U.S. ranks second); yet using the US absolute poverty measure plus food stamps, Belgium's child poverty rate is 7.5 percent, about half that of the U.S. (14 percent), using the same measure.

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Child, Youth and Family Policy Regimes

Maternity, Paternity, Parental, and Family Leaves

Working mothers are entitled to a maternity leave -- a job-protected and paid leave from work at the time of childbirth -- of 15 weeks, of which seven weeks must be taken before expected birth and eight weeks after. While on leave, women receive a maternity allowance paid at 82 percent of prior wages (up to the maximum covered under social security) during the first 30 days and 75 percent for the remainder of the leave. Civil servants receive 100 percent of their pay while on leave, these benefits are tax free. Women are also entitled to a 3 day paid leave in the case of adoption.

Fathers have the right to a three-day paid and job-protected paternity leave.

Either parent may take a 6 month parental leave ("career break") following childbirth or adoption and paid at a low, flat rate and an additional three-month unpaid parental leave (which may be stretched to six months, with half time work). In 1985, the "career break" policy was introduced whereby employees may take 6 - 12 months of full- or half-time leave, if their employer consents and if they are replaced by an unemployed worker, and be paid at a flat rate out of the unemployment benefit system. This leave is frequently used as an extended maternity/parental leave; and 50 percent of those taking it use it to reduce their working hours by half. Career break leaves count as work, for purposes of subsequently qualifying for unemployment benefits.

Since 1991, either working parent may take up to 10 days a year of fully paid leave to care for an ill child or family member. In addition, one person in a household has the right to leave to provide terminal care for relatives or to take time off (one year full-time or two years at part-time) to look after relatives in need of care, paid at a modest flat rate benefit. A palliative leave is now provided for also. A recently established benefit, it is an unpaid leave for up to two months, for the care of a terminally ill individual, not necessarily a relative.

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Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) (6)

Primary school begins at age 6 and school hours are from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm.

ECEC, like primary school, is the responsibility of the regional governments. Preschools developed early while services for the under 3s developed relatively late. Preschool is universal, free, voluntary, under education auspices, and available to all children aged 3 1/2 to 6 regardless of the parents' employment status. Coverage is close to 100 percent, placing Belgium in a class with France and Italy -- world-wide leaders in providing preschool education for children of this age.

Care for children under age three began as a child welfare service, under social welfare and now is targeted on the children of working parents, primarily. Parents pay income-related fees and these fees cover about 17 percent of costs in the French community and 30 percent in the Flemish. At 30 percent, coverage is at the high end of the EU countries with only Denmark and Sweden with higher coverage. Nonetheless, these programs developed rather late in Belgium, in part because female labor force participation rates lagged, because of the conservative values in the society, stressing mothers' staying at home with very young children, and because of the complexity of the delivery system. Family day care is part of the system, but its use varies across the two regions. Eighty percent of child care expenses for children under age three with working parents and in licensed care may be deducted from taxable net income.

Belgium is among the very few countries that have data on after-school programs and that view these programs as important and worth supporting. They are linked to the schools in the French community and operate as free-standing programs in the Flemish. They also charge income-related fees and are partly subsidized through the tax benefits that offset parents' costs.

Recent research has indicated that children of parents who have themselves had limited education or low status occupations are at greater risk of being a year behind in primary school.

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Family Allowances

Family allowances are the most important income transfer Belgium provides for the children of working parents and cover 40 percent of the children in one-earner families with one child as well as more than 80 percent of the children in families with four or more children. Family allowances are cash benefits for children (under age 18 or 25 if in full time education) of working parents, designed to ease the financial burdens of child rearing. They are universal, tax-free, indexed, contingent on the employment status of the parent, and vary by the ordinal position of the child and the arena of the parent's employment. They cover first and subsequent children under age 18 (or 21 if disabled or 25 if a full time student). A supplementary family allowance is payable for children aged 6 and older and is increased for older children. There are special benefits at childbirth, adoption and for handicapped children. They are payable to the mother or to the child's guardian. Families who are not eligible for the universal benefit may qualify for a means-tested benefit.

Belgium was the first industrialized country in Europe to establish a family allowance despite its lagging in the development of an income tax system as well as a social protection system generally. It has a generous system of family benefits but a highly complicated one. There are three different family allowance schemes: one for employees, a second for the self-employed, and a third for civil servants. (There is a proposal to eliminate the distinction across these systems for health care and family benefits.) The benefit level for the self-employed is significantly lower than the benefits in the other two systems. A disabled child or the child of a disabled worker is entitled to a special family allowance and a special tax benefit. Another benefit is that families with children are exempted from paying social security contributions (as in France) for an in-home caregiver. Still another benefit is that since 1993, there is an adoption premium that is equal to the level of the maternity benefit. Family allowance benefits are higher than the standard if the parent is an old age pensioner or has been unemployed for longer than 6 months.

Family allowances are part of the Belgian social security system and the responsibility of the federal government. Benefits are financed by employer contributions (7 percent of payroll) and government contributions. Family allowance funds also help finance child care centers for the under 3s.

As important as these benefits have been in the income packages of families with children, in recent years a second earner's wage has made a more important contribution to family income than the family allowance (and than unemployment benefits).

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Child and Family Tax Benefits

For income tax purposes, the family unit is the tax unit. Lone parent families receive a special tax benefit. In addition, 80 percent of child care costs for a child under age three, can be deducted from income when calculating taxes, if the child care that is used is regulated and supervised care.

 

Child Support

Belgium has an advanced maintenance program since 1989. It provides a minimum Benefit for up to three months, if the non-custodial parent doesn't pay support.

 

Other Child Conditioned Income Transfers

Social Assistance, a means-tested cash benefit, is provided by the regional government and an extra benefit is provided for lone parent families.

 

Child and Adolescent Health

Belgium has a national health insurance system including a local system of maternal and child health care and a home health visiting program.

 

Housing Benefits

Belgian housing policy provides extensive support for the purchase of housing. Mortgage interest is tax deductible and income subsidies for the purchase of approved quality housing is also provided.

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Youth

A study was carried out in Belgium in 1996 that found that eating habits and living patterns which are a threat to the health of young people are adopted at a relatively young age. For example, in 1994: 19 percent of 11-year-old boys have smoked a cigarette at least once; one third of boys and 18 percent of girls smoke days by age 17-18; 11-12 percent of boys consume alcohol daily by age 17-18 and 60 percent, weekly. Eighteen percent of traffic accidents in 1994 were children under age 18. Traffic accidents and other accidents account for 42 percent of all deaths of under 14 year olds.

Youth unemployment rates (under 25) are especially high for women, at 26 percent and at the EU average for men, 18 percent.

Click here to view in pdf format a table on the Ages at which children are legally entitled to carry out a series of acts in European Union countries. See Youth Policies section for definitions of terms used.

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Reconciliation of Work and Family Life

Belgium is trying to expand its support for policies that facilitate reconciliation of work and family life. The most important policies are the extensive supply of ECEC services and the development of a career break policy whereby parents can take time off from work and receive a modest cash benefit. A recent extension of this law permits career breaks to be used to cover part time work, and provides higher benefits for those taking the leave for a second or subsequent child under age three.

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References

Fred Deven and T. Neulant, "Parental leave and career breaks in Belgium," in Parental Leave: Progress or Pitfall?, edited by Peter Moss and Fred Deven (Netherlands: Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute, 1999).

Dumont, Wilfred. "Belgium" The Family Observer, 1999.

Flora, Peter. "Family Change and Family Policies in Belgium", Mannheim Series, Forthcoming.

Verbist, Gerre. "Belgium: Issues Concerning the Family in 1996", in the European Family Observatory, Developments in National Family Policies. 1996.

Moss, Peter. A Review of Early Childhood Services in the European Union 1990-1995, Brussels, Belgium, European Commission, 1996.

 

Notes

  1. Flora, Peter. "Family Change and Family Policies in Belgium", Mannheim Series, forthcoming.
  2. Verbist, Gerre. "Belgium: Issues Concerning the Family in 1996", in the European Family Observatory, Developments in National Family Policies. 1996
  3. Flora, forthcoming.
  4. Dumont, 1999..
  5. Verbist, 1996
  6. Moss, 1996

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Contacts

Washington Embassy

  • Embassy of Belgium
  • 3330 Garfield St., NW
  • Washington, DC 20008
  • Phone: (202) 333-6900
  • Fax: (202) 333-3079

Ministry

  • Ms. Isabel Del Valle Lopez
  • Attachee Direction Generale de l'Action social et de la Sante
  • Ministere de la Region Wallonne
  • Avenue Gouverneur Bovasse, 100
  • Namur 5100

European Union Family Observatory National Representative

 

 
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