Spain still lowest European country least supportive of the family

Madrid, Spain, Jul 26, 2007 / 08:44 am

The president of the Institute for Family Policy (IFP) in Spain, Eduardo Hertfelder, said this week the $686 credit per child approved by the Spanish government is not real support for families because it is a measure that is too late, is insufficient and isolated. He also asserts that it is not part of a comprehensive policy allowing parents to deal with the economic costs associated with raising children.

The IFP noted that the average Spanish family spends a minimum of $2,000 per year on each child until he or she reaches the age of 18, totaling some $36,000.  The $686 credit from the government covers barely 2.5% of the needs of each family.  Even if the $400 in additional aid is taken into account, government aid only covers 7.9% in the best of cases.

Despite the $1.5 billion in family aid allotted by the Spanish government, Spain will continue to be the EU country that provides least assistance to the family—only 0.8 percent of its GDP, well below the European average of 2.2 percent, Hertfelder.

The Spanish government’s family policy is taking the country in the opposite direction as the rest of the countries of Europe, which are implementing measures and policies that are much more family-friendly.  The IFP pointed to the urgent need for a comprehensive family policy that fosters a culture that is supportive of the family and encourages parents to have the number of children that they wish.